The Constitution Party of West Virginia has approved a resolution in support of a balanced budget with no tax increases.
Whereas, the State of West Virginia has created the Municipal Home Rule Pilot Program allowing selected cities to replace all or part of their B &O tax with a sales tax of no more than 1%,
Whereas, this new tax is currently being imposed on consumers in 28 municipalities in W.Va.,
Whereas, the Legislature is currently considering a bill, S.B. 441, to expand the program to all municipalities in W.Va.,
Whereas, H.B. 4009 of 2016, the Letting Our Counties Act Locally Act, permits counties, with the approval of voters, to impose a 1% sales tax for road construction,
Whereas, these recently created sales taxes combined with the current 6% sales tax total a potential tax of 8% in some areas of the State,
Whereas, the Legislature is currently considering S.B. 477 which would dramatically increase DMV fees,
And, whereas, the people of West Virginia are among the poorest of any state in the Nation,
The Constitution Party of West Virginia demands that the Legislature and Governor produce a balanced budget for the next fiscal year that includes no tax increases. We oppose any attempt by subterfuge to increase taxes under the guise of fee increases or any attempt to allow local governments to further increase taxes. Furthermore, we oppose any effort to place the people of West Virginia under debt bondage in order to maintain current spending levels which should be cut to match expected revenues.
The Government of West Virginia should conduct itself in the same way that the citizens of this state are forced to do when confronted with reduced income – cut spending.