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Weirton council approves higher municipal service fee to fund firefighter staffing after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing with several residents objecting, Weirton City Council approved Ordinance No. 2272 on second reading to raise the municipal service fee from $2 to $5 per week to help staff an additional fire station; the amendment prevents duplicate weekly charges for the same employee.
Weirton — On March 9, 2026, the Weirton City Council approved Ordinance No. 2272 on second reading to raise the municipal service fee from $2 to $5 per week, a change council members said is intended to fund additional firefighter staffing and reopen the County Road fire station.
The change was approved after an amendment — inserted by Councilman Timothy C. Connell and adopted unanimously — stating that no individual shall be charged the fee more than once for the same week of employment regardless of multiple employments. Council then approved the amended ordinance in a roll-call vote, 6–1; Councilman Anthony Rocchio cast the only No vote.
The fee increase drew several speakers at a public hearing before the council meeting. JoEllen Lashhorn said the proposed change "would more than double the current fee and create a financial burden on workers and local businesses" and questioned the need for a fully staffed third station given prior volunteer coverage and renovations the City has already paid for. Dezso Polgar, a resident who also serves as Director of Operations for the Hancock County Ambulance Service, asked for clearer budget information and questioned the use of reserve funds, saying the proposed increase could generate about $2.4 million and that $800,000 to $1 million of that might be used for firefighter staffing. Robert Harris described personal financial hardship and opposed the increase as unaffordable for his household. Brenda Mull, president of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to evaluate whether the $5-per-week amount is the appropriate level and to consider effects on small and part-time employers.
Mayor Dean M. Harris addressed concerns that a private employer had requested the station reopening, saying the decision to add staffing and reopen the County Road station "predated the announcement of Form Energy" and was based on fire-rescue staffing recommendations. Councilman Rick Stead said the department is understaffed, noting the typical on-scene deployment of roughly nine firefighters compared with an advised 15 for structure fires, and framed the proposed fee as "about $156 per year per employee" compared with the public-safety benefit the council is seeking.
Council members also debated transparency and alternatives during the public-comment period; several residents asked why the City’s Rainy Day fund (cited by a speaker at about $6 million) was not being tapped to offset costs. The record shows the council approved the ordinance after adopting the non-duplication amendment.
Other items on the council agenda that evening were approved by unanimous vote, including a resolution approving substantial amendments to the City’s FY 2020–2024 CDBG Annual Action Plans, authorization for the City Manager to enter a CivicPlus services agreement for $20,930.29, and adoption of the 2026–2027 General Fund and Coal Severance Fund budgets.
The ordinance was adopted on second reading by a 6–1 vote; the council proceeded to other business and adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
