Berkeley commissioners authorize petition to redraw county line for mis‑surveyed properties

Berkeley County commissioners voted to authorize county staff to proceed with a joint court petition with neighboring Jefferson County to correct several mis‑surveyed properties that have been treated as Jefferson County parcels for roughly two decades.

County officials told the commission that survey errors left a cluster of roughly a dozen residential properties misclassified across the county line. Commissioners said the properties pay taxes to Jefferson County but have voted in Berkeley County; the discrepancy also affected precinct and delegate-district boundaries. Commissioners said petitioning the circuit court for a boundary correction is administratively simpler than pursuing a legislative change of county lines.

County Clerk Anthony Petrucci explained the approach to the board, saying the petition would rely on the circuit court's authority to resolve a dispute about the county boundary rather than seeking a legislative change. The commission approved a motion granting Petrucci authority to work with the circuit court on the petition; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote.

Commissioners discussed that resolving the issue by court petition would avoid a complicated property-by-property re-recording process in land records. No residents or landowners opposed the action in the recorded meeting.

The commission did not record any financial exchange or land swap as part of the action; commissioners joked about road bills but made no formal request for compensation from Jefferson County in the public record.

The commission approved the motion and the clerk was authorized to proceed with court filing.