Charles Town councilors debate who should fund Homeless Solutions coordinator as business-license revenues surge

Council members at Charles Town's Jan. 8 finance meeting pressed staff for greater transparency about a budget line tied to homelessness and questioned whether the county should be the primary funder of a Homeless Solutions coordinator.

One committee member noted the council's prior understanding that the position would be shared and that earlier one-time federal (ARPA) funds had helped cover the role temporarily. "The county should be funding this position," a member said, while others replied that the original plan assumed grant-writing by the position would make it self-sustaining.

Staff said the city has contributed $13,902 so far toward the position and that no other municipality had put money into the county's homeless-solutions fund to date. Members scheduled a follow-up meeting with county representatives (named in the transcript as Eddie and Pasha) and recommended a clear written agreement describing expected outlays and which activities the city's line item will cover.

Separately, staff highlighted strong revenue performance for November: business-license renewals were running at 258% (from a low base), utility tax and B&O revenue were also ahead of projections, and ad valorem revenue is cyclical with a larger payment expected in March. Committee members requested an updated, consolidated account balance and a clearer breakdown of liquid reserves versus invested funds at the next meeting.

Members emphasized the need to clarify whether the city's budget line is a dedicated contribution to the Homeless Solutions position or a more general fund for homeless services, and asked that the distinction be communicated to residents in budget materials.

The committee did not vote on funding changes at the meeting; staff were asked to return with clarified numbers and a proposal for how the city's contribution would be allocated.