February 15, 2010

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Morgan County Commissioner Stacy A. Dugan, who said she ran on a platform of bringing an open government to Morgan County, will tell you her first year has not been easy.

She will then tell you how she wants to continue to make Morgan County more open and better for the people.

Dugan, 39, came to the commission with about 17 years of management experience as director of nutrition services at War Memorial Hospital in Berkeley Springs. She is a registered dietitian and still works there part time.

A Democrat, she won the election in 2008 over longtime Morgan County Commissioner Glen Stotler, a Republican who held the seat for 24 years.

She said she is proud to be of one of the first two women Democrats leading Morgan County. Dugan serves with Democrat Commission President Brenda J. Hutchinson and Commissioner Thomas R. Swaim, a Republican.

One of the first things she initiated is holding weekly commission meetings and rotating them. The meetings are held during the morning one week and in the afternoon the next to allow more people to attend. The change has been successful, she said.

The county Web site now offers more information with the addition of commission meeting agendas, minutes, job descriptions and openings, as well as tax information, she said.

“It is more efficient now,” Dugan said. “People are using the site rather than calling the tax office.”

More than 279 people have used the site in January for sustainable periods, according to records, and more than 100 people receive e-mails containing information about commission agendas and meeting minutes, she said.

Dugan said she wants to add a Web cam to the county site, so people can watch the commission meetings if they cannot attend.

“Stacy’s done an excellent job her first year,” resident George Farnham said. “She followed through on her campaign promise to open up the Morgan County government.”

Dugan participated in cost-saving measures the commission made in 2009. One was changing the county insurance carrier, which saved more than $60,000, she said.

Another is the use of the West Virginia One Visa credit card for county employee purchases, which gives up to a 1 percent credit return on all purchases, Dugan said.

Morgan County Chief Deputy Cathy Payne said the credit card was brought to the commission’s attention, and she was asked to review it.

“I saw that it can save the county money, and it has,” Payne said, with more than $3,000 so far since July, she said.

The card is used for gas purchased by the law deputies and other county-related needs such as supplies and travel expenses, she said.

Dugan also followed through on her campaign promise to get a Child Protection Services (CPS) worker in Morgan County.

Because of her health-care background with the hospital, Dugan said she believed Morgan County needed a CPS worker.

“Even though I was told that it was not the responsibility of a commissioner, I wanted to try,” she said.

In early 2009, she and Commission President Brenda J. Hutchinson went to Gov. Manchin’s office with a signed resolution by all three commissioners asking for a CPS worker for the Morgan County Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR).

A CPS worker was hired shortly thereafter, she said.

“We fought hard for the added position,” she said, “and we now have our own case officer in Morgan County.”

Dugan said one of the accomplishments as a commissioner about which she is most proud is the new Canine Restraint Ordinance that protects against animal cruelty. 

“All three of us worked very hard and listened to the community and got this passed,” she said.

But Dugan said, “I could have handled myself a little differently regarding the hotel/motel tax.”

Last year, Morgan County Parks and Recreation asked the commission to consider raising the tax, which is now 3 percent and is allowed by law to be raised to 6 percent.

In September, the commission voted to discuss it again in March.

“I wish I had had a better understanding of the tourist tax. I was new and I’m still learning, and each day brings more understanding to this job,” Dugan said.

“I have a better understanding of the county and how it works as a whole. I did not have that a year ago,” she said.

Reprinted from From The Herald Mail   >>