Fiduciary supervisor asks commissioners for modest budget increase to keep contractual help

Will Larson, fiduciary supervisor for Berkeley County, asked the Board of Commissioners to approve a modest budget increase to cover payroll obligations tied to contractual assistance and to support employee compensation.

Larson said his office currently manages 3,087 active open estates in Berkeley County and runs on a small permanent staff of three full-time employees; he asked the commission to continue funding contractual work by Marty Kiesecker, a lifelong trust officer hired to provide overflow support during peak periods. Larson asked for a total increase of $11,051.83 to cover the county’s FICA and PERS obligations related to the contractual arrangement and to provide a 5% increase in full-time staff compensation.

Larson described the fiduciary office’s role in ensuring proper parties are named in estate transfers and preserving the chain of title so property transfers and development can proceed without delay. He said the office is one of seven dedicated fiduciary-supervisor offices in West Virginia and contrasted that staffing model with other counties that rely on clerk’s-office employees for the same functions.

Commissioners who spoke in the meeting thanked Larson and his staff for their work and several attendees praised the office’s professionalism and record-keeping when members needed documents for out‑of‑state transactions. Larson asked only for continued support for contractual pay, supplies, travel and subscription budgets; he said most other line items remain the same as the prior fiscal year.