Associated Press Published

Board Grants Home Rule to 6 Municipalities

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Six West Virginia municipalities have been given a larger say in how they govern.

The West Virginia Municipal Home Rule Board granted home rule status to Beckley, Grafton, Princeton, St. Albans, Moundsville and Oak Hill on Monday.

There are now 26 municipalities participating in the pilot program, which shifts power from the state to the local level.

The program began as a five-year pilot in 2007 in Bridgeport, Charleston, Huntington and Wheeling. Since then, the Legislature has expanded the program to 34 municipalities.

The West Virginia Department of Commerce says there are still openings for four municipalities with populations of less than 2,000 and four municipalities with populations of 2,000 or more.