Ever since the Mountain State’s residential population peaked at just over 2 million in the 1950s, the “brain drain” has navigated the “Hillbilly Highway” to the tune of more than 200,000 folks who no longer live in one of the 55 counties.
When the results of the 2020 U.S. Census were released, West Virginia made national headlines for losing 3.2 percent (or about 59,000) since 2010 count, the largest population decline in the country and the worst in state history.
So how can the declining trend be reversed? How can the Mountain State begin retaining residents and attracting new citizens? What can local councils, county commissions, and the state legislature do? Former state lawmaker Erikka Storch has an idea.
“Get out of the way,” Storch said emphatically. “That’s what government needs to do. I say we let the job creators create the jobs in an environment where they want to create the jobs, and don’t micromanage by over-regulating. Government should not be a burden on the people who want to add employment in West Virginia, and when that’s the reality, jobs will be created.
“Your dollar goes further here than in many states, and you can earn a good living here, especially in Ohio County,” she said. “There are a lot of great things to experience in West Virginia, and here in Ohio County, we are a day’s drive away from some of the best attractions in the entire country. We are so close to so much, so why wouldn’t someone want to live in a place where your dollar can take you farther?”
J.O.B.
A community can plant trees and pave streets, but if living wage employment is not readily available, retention and attraction of taxpayers become the most difficult tasks to achieve.
In the city of Wheeling the census results brought good news to the municipality even though the Friendly City lost a little more than 1,400 residents in the past 10 years. So, what is the good news? After the population declined by more than 6,000 citizens between 1990 and 2010, the pace slowed from nearly 10 percent to only 5 percent.
“And that’s how it begins,” Storch insisted. “The decline slows down, and then the adding of residents is what hopefully will follow. Will the same thing take place all over the state? Probably not, but we do have two areas that are growing in population, and those are the Eastern Panhandle and the Morgantown area. Now, I can see us adding population in other areas because of future economic development, but it can’t all happen on the legislative level. The efforts to retain and recruit new residents must be a statewide effort by the people who live here now.
“I do believe Chelsea Ruby, the state’s tourism secretary, has a vision for the future of West Virginia and how to get more people to visit the state,” she continued. “In some cases, because people have visited West Virginia, they have decided to move and work here. We do have a very beautiful state, and tourism plays a role when it comes to helping people realize the aspect that we have going for us here.”
The Legislature has reduced regulations, changed laws, to attract new business, and has addressed tax reform on many levels, and most recently Nucor Steel announced a 2.7 billion, state-of-the-art sheet steel mill in Mason County.
“Hopefully, that’s the beginning, and it continues,” Storch said. “And during the recent regular session, we were able to give our state troopers a substantial pay raise that has been a long time coming, and the bill that would have shortened unemployment died, so it will stay at 26 weeks which is a very good thing for members of the building trades. Plus, all employees of the state of West Virginia received an increase in their compensation, so that will help the economy in West Virginia.
“What I can tell you after being a delegate for 13 years is that we have been able to give more pay raises during the past few years than ever before, and that’s a very good thing. Our pensions are well-funded, too,” the lawmaker said. “Our worst pension as far as funding is concerned is the teachers’ retirement, and it’s at 76 percent today, and we have to be careful as far as how we address that issue in the future.”
Paradise on a Dime
The cost of living in West Virginia is much lower than in four of the five states that border the Mountain State. The only comparable is in Kentucky, but in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia property taxes are nearly double.
Plus, the beauty of the Mountain State and the number of attractions within its border allow for the “Wild and Wonderful” slogan to prove true. In the Northern Panhandle alone, Oglebay and Wheeling parks are popular as are Grand Vue Park in Marshall County and Tomlinson Run State Park in Hancock County.
“I think sometimes we have a bad habit of taking what we have for granted, but anyone who has moved away from the Wheeling area has never found anything similar to Oglebay Park. No one. Ever,” Storch said adamantly. “So, instead of taking it for granted, maybe we should start publicly appreciating what we have here because, I’m telling you, we have more than most areas.”
For most residents, though, it’s all about the bottom line.
“I guarantee you that most of the people who have moved to the Eastern Panhandle area have done so because they have realized that our property taxes in West Virginia are much lower than what Maryland and Virginia charge, and our cost of living is much lower,” Storch insisted. “One recent evening we went to dinner with my son, Seth, who now lives near Chicago, and he was amazed at the price of a glass of wine here compared to what he has paid in Illinois.
“I was happy to see that our population loss in the Northern Panhandle really slowed down in the 2020 Census, and I expect us to reverse that trend because I think this is the best part of the state of West Virginia. I know I have lived here most of my life, but I have also been to the other parts of the state, and there is a difference. We are logical here, and reasonable, and it’s very safe, so I hope more people realize that so we can begin growing again.”
