Shepherdstown's Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, June 7.  The polling location is Town Hall, 104 North King Street, Shepherdstown, WV.  The polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  To be eligible to vote in this election, you must be a registered voter residing within the corporate limits of Shepherdstown.   For questions regarding the election, contact Amy Boyd, Town Clerk, at 304-876-2398.

Sample Ballot

List of Write-In Candidates

To vote for one or both write-in candidates, please write their name and office on the front of the ballot.  For more information on write-in candidate voting on paper ballots see the link below.

Write-in Guide

WV Voter Identification Law

Pre-Adoption Notice

Proposed Water Rate Change Ordinance (yellow highlight indicates change)

Current Water Rate Ordinance

January 12, 2021 Town Council Zoom Meeting Link 

Persons wishing to comment can do so at the January 12, 2021 Town Council Meeting via the Zoom link provided above. Written comments can be sent to Mayor Jim Auxer at jimauxer@yahoo.com and must be received by 6:15 p.m. January 12, 2021.

To the Shepherdstown Community:

At the September 8 Town Council meeting, the Shepherdstown Town Council unanimously adopted the following motion relating to Halloween/Trick or Treating related activities:

"The Town Council does not endorse any Halloween events and discourages any Halloween related activities including town-wide Trick or Treating and BooFest based upon Covid-19 safety concerns. "

This decision applies within the corporate limits of Shepherdstown.

The Shepherdstown Town Council made the decision to discourage and not endorse Halloween activities very thoughtfully.  This decision regarding one of Shepherdstown’s premier events was difficult but health and safety must be our #1 priority.

Mayor Auxer

Municipal Election:

As a result of Governor Justice's executive order, Shepherdstown's June 2 Municipal Election has been rescheduled to Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

The election is for the positions of Mayor, Recorder and five Town Council Members.  Sample Ballot  

Polling Place/Location:

Shepherdstown Town Hall

104 North King Street

Shepherdstown, WV 25443

Precinct #33

Polling Hours:

6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Voter Registration:

June 30 is the deadline to register to vote in the municipal election.  For more information about registering to vote, contact the Jefferson County Voter Registration Office at 304-728-3246 or go online to http://www.jeffersoncountywv.org/find-it-fast/voter-registration-elections . To be eligible to vote in the municipal election, you must a registered voter residing within the corporate limits of Shepherdstown.  To verify if you reside within the corporate limits, call the Town Clerk at 304-876-2398.

Voting by Absentee Ballot:

July 15 is the deadline for Town Hall to receive all Absentee Ballot Applications  The application must be completed in the applicant's own handwriting (not typed).  See application for complete details.  The application can be mailed to P.O. Box 248, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, faxed to 304-876-1473, or emailed to clerk@shepherdstown.us .

June 5 - July 16 - Absentee ballots are mailed to voters who submitted an application.

An absentee ballot is considered received in a timely manner:

• If it is received by mail no later than the close of polls on election day.
• If postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service with a date on or before the date of the election;
• If it is received before the beginning of the canvass;
• If it is not postmarked and received by mail no later than the day after the election; or
• If it is received by hand delivery to the recorder no later than the day before the election (note: no person may hand-deliver more than two ballots)

Early Voting:

July 8 - 18 - Early Voting takes place at the Shepherdstown Town Hall from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the last two Saturday's (July 11 and 18) before the election from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.   A voter does not have to provide a reason for voting during this time.  The voter does not complete an application for early voting in person.

The Voter ID requirements can be found online here: https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/BeReg.aspx

With the Governor's announcements of allowing the rollout of the reopening of businesses in West Virginia, the Town and a task force of stakeholders initiated a campaign to set the tone of Respect, Protect and Appreciation for our visitors to wear masks and do social distancing to make our community a safer one. This campaign includes a Town Resolution, a series of posters to be placed prominently around town and a social media marketing campaign to be implemented by the Shepherdstown Visitors Center.

Resolution

Police Department Guidance

Town Posters

As a result of Governor Justice's executive order, Shepherdstown's June 2 Municipal Election has been rescheduled to Tuesday, July 21, 2020.  Applications for absentee ballots will be mailed to all registered voters or you can click here to get your application now.  The application must be completed in the applicant's own handwriting (not typed).  See application for complete details.  The application can be mailed to P.O. Box 248, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, faxed to 304-876-1473, or emailed to clerk@shepherdstown.us . The deadline to return the application is July 15, 2020.  Voters who request an absentee ballot will have them mailed to them beginning June 5.   Contact Amy L. Boyd, Town Clerk, at 304-876-2398 for further information.

On the evening of October 1^st, the West Virginia Department of Highways will begin milling and paving work in Shepherdstown. Without notification to the Town, the West Virginia Department of Highways awarded a contract in June of this year for the paving and milling of WVDOH maintained streets in Shepherdstown.* These roads are owned and maintained by the State of West Virginia, and the Town does not have jurisdiction over any of those state roads, even though they are located within the corporate boundaries.  Town officials have been requesting the WVDOH complete this work for over three years as it may assist with alleviating flooding in some areas. However, the Town was unaware work would begin until the contractor reached out to the mayor earlier this week to discuss the project prior to beginning the work. The following is the information provided and discussed during that meeting:

• Milling and paving work will begin Sunday, October 1, 2023. To receive federal funds, WVDOH is required to complete all work by November 17, 2023.
• In an effort to keep traffic disruption to a minimum and in light of the increased traffic from the Route 340 closure, all work related to this project will be performed in the evening between the hours of 7pm-6am. Parking and travel will be impacted during these hours.
• All streets will be available for travel and parking during the day.
• No work will occur on Friday or Saturday evenings, and streets will be open for travel and parking during this time.
• The project will begin with the W. German Street portion.
• The last area to be milled and paved will be E. Duke Street/WV 480.
• The entire project is estimated to last for 3 weeks.

A map of the proposed route and a tentative work schedule can be viewed here. This schedule is subject to change due to delays caused by weather or other unforeseen conditions. As work progresses, the Town will continue to monitor the project and issue updated notices on our website, e-mail list, and social media pages. If you have any questions please contact Stephanie Grove, Town Administrator, at (304) 876-2312.

-Mayor Jim Auxer

* The following sections of streets are scheduled for work:

• German from Duke to Princess
• Princess from Washington to High
• Washington from Church to 230
• Church from Washington toe Kearneysville Pike (WV 480)
• Duke from Church Alley to German

A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall (104 North King Street, Shepherdstown, WV) for the purpose of considering a franchise agreement between the Corporation of Shepherdstown and Shenandoah Cable Television, LLC. The franchise agreement pertains to the Town granting a nonexclusive right and privilege to Shenandoah Cable Television, LLC, for the operation of a community antenna television system (CATV) within all areas of the Corporation of Shepherdstown. The term of this agreement is 20 years. The franchise fee to be paid to the Corporation of Shepherdstown is $250,000 and .05% of the gross revenue derived from the operation of the CATV system during the preceding quarter. The draft franchise agreement can be viewed at Town Hall, 104 North King Street, Shepherdstown, WV or by clicking here.

Amy L. Boyd, Town Clerk

For the Corporation of Shepherdstown

A water repair is scheduled to take place on South Princess Street on Monday, July 24^th.  North bound traffic will be closed, but the street will be open to south bound traffic.

Traffic coming from Washington Street will not have access to Princess Street.  Traffic from German Street will have access to Princess Street (south bound). Work will begin at approximately 8:00 a.m. and will last an estimated 3 hours.

May's glass recycling collection will be moved from Tuesday, May 30 to Thursday, June 1.  Please call Town Hall at 304-876-2574 with any questions.

From the Shepherdstown Planning and Zoning Office:

Beginning July 2023, the deadline for Certificate of Appropriateness / Project Permit applications will be the second Monday of the previous month.  No applications will be reviewed in June.  Please email questions to abeall@shepherdstown.us or call (304) 876-6858.

The Shepherdstown Council is pleased to announce that for the first time in its 261-year history, Shepherdstown has a town administrator. On March 21, 2023, the Shepherdstown Council voted to hire Stephanie Grove as the Town’s first administrator. Grove’s first day at town hall was on March 29, 2023, and she attended her first council meeting that evening, when the Council convened a special meeting to review applications for the Market House.

The Town Council began working on creating the Town Administrator position in late summer of last year. However, Mayor Jim Auxer indicated that the idea of hiring a town administrator has been informally discussed among the Council for years.  “The Town is fortunate to have been able to attract such an experienced and competent candidate,” Auxer said.

Grove, a native of Jefferson County, has over seventeen years’ experience in Jefferson County local government service. She began her career as an assistant prosecutor in the Civil Division of the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s office, representing county boards and elected officials. After that, she served as the Jefferson County Administrator for six years and then briefly as the City Manager of Ranson.  “I really got to know Stephanie during the pandemic, when she organized meetings between the County Commission and the County’s five mayors and other stakeholders in the County. During that time, she assisted me and the other mayors with navigating the various state and federal directives related to COVID-19. Both the Council and I are thrilled to have her join the staff here at Shepherdstown.”

The Shepherdstown Water Department has scheduled its annual fire hydrant flushing program to begin on April 17, 2023 through May 17, 20230.  During this time, customers may experience lower than normal pressures, as well as water that is cloudy in appearance. This should correct itself as we progress throughout the system. This is an important maintenance task that must be completed, we apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause to our customers. Questions should be directed to Charles Coe, Chief Water Plant Operator, at 304-876-2394.

Click here to view the proclamation.

The Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council (Region 9) is kicking off a series of public meetings next week to collect feedback from residents, businesses, and organizations about internet uses and challenges. The information from the listening sessions will help the State of West Virginia develop a comprehensive plan to address the current digital divide.

“Participation in these listening sessions is critical as the feedback received will help the West Virginia Office of Broadband better understand our region’s issues with accessing reliable and affordable high-speed internet,” said Region 9 Executive Director Rachel Snavely. “These public meetings are the first step in tackling the consistent and pervasive issues we face due to connectivity challenges.”

Click here for a list of the meetings and times.

The Corporation of Shepherdstown is accepting rental applications for occupancy in the Market House located at 100 E. German Street, Shepherdstown, WV.  This historic building is located in the heart of town and is an icon of Shepherdstown’s rich history.  The Market House most recently housed the Shepherdstown Public Library.

The Market House consists of two stories and is constructed of brick with a standing seam roof.  The total square footage is 2,280.  The building is ADA accessible on the first floor only. The restroom will be updated to ADA standards. The Market House is currently being renovated and the Corporation will work with the selected tenant in regard to changes and occupancy availability.

Applications are due by Friday, March 17, 2023, and can be emailed to  jimauxer@yahoo.com, mailed to P.O. Box 248, Shepherdstown, WV, 25443, or hand delivered to Town Hall at 104 North King Street, Shepherdstown, WV.  For further information, please contact Jim Auxer, Mayor, at 304-876-2605.

Market House Criteria and Application