Council adopts package of budget revisions; city records MET bequest and readies airport marketing funds

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Morgantown City Council on Tuesday approved a package of budget revisions affecting the general fund, the capital escrow fund and the MET Theater Fund.

John Ferguson, city finance director, presented the revisions and said the package includes corrective transfers for prior-year unpaid invoices, interim budget authority in case unusually large utility bills must be paid, transfers to outfit five recently purchased police vehicles and formal recognition of a $75,000 bequest to the MET Theater Fund.

Ferguson said the finance office is investigating a sewer utility invoice for Hartman Run (listed at $42,568.38, compared with a normal bill of about $8,900) and a water bill for 10 Walnut Street that arrived at $3,631 (normally about $1,100). “This is being investigated by Damien and by the city hall crew. They are trying to identify the issue whether or not this is a legitimate invoice or not,” Ferguson said. He emphasized that approving the budget revision gives the city the ability to pay the invoice if it is found to be legitimate; the invoice itself has not been approved for payment.

Council also approved moving $36,200 from the police operating budget to the police capital escrow to cover outfitting costs for five new police vehicles and corresponding capital-escrow amendments.

The council’s capital escrow revision formally recognized a $75,000 bequest received by the MET Theater Fund on May 6, 2025, from the Nancy Elizabeth Love estate in memory of Edith Catherine Howell Love and transferred the funds to the MET Theater capital account.

Ferguson described a separate capital-escrow amendment to fund the municipal airport’s marketing campaign tied to new SkyWest air service. The airport initially received $20,000 in October 2024 and requested an additional $60,000; city staff proposed using interest earned in a higher-yield money market account to supply the remainder. Ferguson said to date the money market has generated additional interest beyond the checking-account baseline (reported figures: roughly $44,785 as of April 30 and about $19,000 additional in May) and that staff propose to apply those interest earnings to the $60,000 marketing request if council approves the related revisions.

Council also approved a budget correction transferring $1,107,000 received in a capital grant to the Hazel Ruby McQuown Park capital escrow fund, noting the cash transfer had not been recorded in the correct fund after expenditures had been made.

All budget amendments were approved on the council’s vote, recorded 7-0 for the items presented.