West Virginia
Letter signed to reduce personal income tax by another 4% – WV MetroNews
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The letter was signed Thursday that will reduce the state’s personal income tax by another 4% on Jan. 1, 2025.
The letter, signed by state Auditor J.B. McCuskey and state Revenue Secretary Larry Pack, acknowledges the trigger mechanization for the tax cut was met.
Legislation approved by state lawmakers in 2023 establishes a process by which the personal income tax can be reduced annually if certain marks are met.
The trigger measures general revenue collections in a fiscal year minus severance collections compared to 2019 as a base year, adjusted for inflation. If collections are ahead of the base year, that would activate the trigger. That’s what happened in the most recently completed fiscal year. The cuts, according to the trigger, can go no lower than 10%.
State lawmakers passed and Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill last year to reduce the tax by 21%. Pack said Thursday the additional 4% will begin coming off next year.
“It’s effective Jan. 1, 2025. We just made it official. We’re very thankful for the governor’s leadership and legislature to allow us to continue to cut the tax burden of West Virginians,” Pack said during an appearance on MetroNews “Talkline.”
Pack said the the new cut will be about a $100 million savings for taxpayers, Pack said.
“That’s on top of the over $800 million tax cut the governor pushed forward and the legislature passed last year,” Pack said.
MORE see letter here
Meanwhile, Justice has said on more than one occasion that he plans to ask lawmakers to cut the personal income tax by another 5% during a special session either later this month or in September.
“We’ve done the right thing growing this economy; we’ve done the right thing keeping this budget flat. Why in the world would we now do the wrong thing? For people who want to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, then at the end of the day we will get exactly, ultimately, in the end — mark it down because I’m not going to be here very much longer — in all honesty we will get exactly what we deserve,” Justice said in early July.
But there doesn’t appear to be any widespread agreement on Justice’s proposal. He said as recent as this week that his office continues to talk with lawmakers.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Eric Tarr, R-Putnam, has been one of the critics.
“Either you’re going to have to go in and reduce spending that is so bloody that you can afford that — bloody by, I mean, it is going to be politically challenging and it will be citizen uproar on some of those services because we’ve been catching infrastructure up, we’ve been getting sewer and water done, we’ve been getting roads done, we’ve been getting broadband down. You want to stop all that then go ahead and throw another $100 million in expenses there for perpetuity before we get the opportunity for revenue growth for the things we’ve done,” Tarr said last month on 580Live with Dave Allen.
Pack said what is known is the personal income tax is going down another 4% on Jan. 1.
“We’re able to let people to keep more of their money while at the same time we’ll able to run government efficiently,” Pack said.
West Virginia
Justice firm’s delinquent DEP fines rise past $1.6M amid DOJ criminal liability relief
West Virginia
West Virginia First Foundation advances key initiatives at second quarterly board meeting
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A longtime State Farm agent on Buckhannon’s Main Street, Kelley Tierney offers home, auto, life and renters insurance — plus State Farm financial services — under the company’s “Here For What Matters” approach. Read more →
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) convened its second quarterly board meeting of 2026 at Ascend West Virginia in Charleston, continuing its work to advance prevention, treatment and recovery efforts across West Virginia through responsible stewardship of opioid settlement funds.
The meeting provided board members with updates on several key initiatives and strategic priorities currently underway.
Expert panel appointments
A significant focus of the meeting was the appointment of several volunteer Expert Panel members following the conclusion of certain panel terms. Expert panelists serve in advisory roles and provide regional knowledge, professional expertise and community perspective to help inform WVFF’s work and funding priorities. To allow time for all appointees to complete the necessary confirmation and onboarding process, names will not be publicly released until all appointments have been finalized.
“Expert Panelists play an important role in helping us understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities facing our local communities,” said Jonathan Board, Executive Director of WVFF. “We are grateful for the individuals who volunteer their time and expertise to support this work and help guide thoughtful, informed decision-making.”
Local government reporting and best practices
Board members reviewed progress on the 2026 Local Government Expenditure Report, which compiles annual spending data submitted by local governments receiving opioid settlement funds. Staff reported that more than 65% of eligible local governments have submitted expenditure reports to date, with the statewide report expected to be released in mid-July.
The board also received an update on new resources being developed to help local governments identify promising practices and learn from successful approaches being implemented across West Virginia. While WVFF does not direct how local governments spend their allocated settlement funds, the Foundation remains committed to providing educational resources that highlight allowable uses, share examples from around the state and support informed local decision-making.
![[CHAMBER] [2026-06-23] Hiring Executive Director](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/jqvoqa1wl63oqmzrnmeg)
In the coming months, WVFF plans to host regional learning sessions that will bring local government representatives together to share experiences, discuss challenges and explore opportunities to maximize the impact of opioid settlement investments within their communities.
Strategic priorities
The board received updates on the Community Catalyst Grant (CCG) program, which opened for applications on June 1 and remains open through June 30. Designed as a three-year, outcomes-driven investment, the program will support projects focused on public safety response, day report centers and generational prevention efforts.
Board members also received updates on the West Virginia Wayfinder, the statewide needs assessment project led by the West Virginia University Health Affairs Institute, in partnership with the Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs, and Data Driven WV. Meetings and engagement activities are underway with WVFF staff, expert panelists and community stakeholders across the state, with data, insights and priority areas currently being gathered and analyzed to help identify needs, gaps and opportunities related to substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery services in West Virginia.
![[DHS] [2025-05-23] Pain Free Living](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/xswzc9oud10whhzr94hg)
“Our Board remains focused on ensuring these funds are invested responsibly and strategically for the benefit of West Virginia communities,” said Greg Duckworth, Chairman of the WVFF Board of Directors. “Each meeting provides an opportunity to review progress, strengthen accountability, and continue building on the work being done across the state.”
Direct funding request approved
The board also voted to approve a $4 million direct funding request submitted by the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute (RNI) at West Virginia University. The project is focused on expanding access to innovative addiction treatment and recovery support tools while building the technology and infrastructure needed to support implementation across West Virginia.
Consistent with WVFF’s commitment to transparency and accountability, additional details regarding the project and funding agreement will be released in the coming weeks following the completion of final documentation. WVFF and RNI plan to issue a joint announcement once the agreement process has been finalized.
![[TWIN] [2025-08-08] Meadowlands](https://res.cloudinary.com/mytown/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto,c_limit,w_1080/spotlights/sueaeb3swu4g4qwmu3x2)
Hold the Line Tour stop at Rea of Hope
After the board meeting, WVFF board members and staff will visit Rea of Hope, an Initial Opportunity Grant awardee, as part of the Foundation’s Hold the Line Tour, which highlights organizations and programs working to make a difference in communities across West Virginia. The visit will provide an opportunity to hear directly from leadership about the impact of recovery-focused services and community support.
The next regular meeting of the Foundation’s board of directors is scheduled for September 17, 2026 (subject to change). Visit wvfirst.org to learn more.
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