Fayette county

Demanding Accountability and Enforcing Animal Control in Fayette County
​The Problem:

 When Public Service Becomes Non-Response
​The current system in Fayette County is failing its citizens, especially when it comes to the safety of our families and pets.
​Our laws are strong, but our enforcement is weak. When a public service is called, the expectation is action, not avoidance.
​Fayette County has clear ordinances against dangerous and roaming animals, yet repeat offenders face no real consequence until a crisis occurs. Our Animal Control services too often treat enforcement as optional, leaving citizens unprotected. This pattern of non-response on serious quality-of-life issues is unacceptable.
​The Solution: Targeted Enforcement, Resolution, and Mandatory Accountability
​We must stop accepting non-response as a public service. I will champion a new policy plank focused on accountability, using the powers already vested in our County Commission and the West Virginia Code.
​Pillar 1: Chronic Problem Resolution Metrics
​We will end the culture of optional enforcement by focusing on solving ongoing problems. I will mandate that the Fayette County Commission require and publish quarterly reports from Animal Control.
​The Metric: We will track the ratio of chronic, documented animal control complaints (e.g., three or more reports on the same owner or property within a quarter) versus the number of final resolutions achieved (e.g., court-ordered remedies, impoundments, or maximum fines secured).
​The Goal: If the department receives repeated complaints about the same dangerous dog owner but achieves zero resolution, the public will know, and the County Commission will demand a correction. Accountability is measured by results, not by ignoring the problem.
​Let me be clear: This policy is not about predatory policing or writing petty tickets for minor issues. It is about demanding action against the chronic, serious violations created by the small minority of repeat offenders who put our neighbors and pets at risk. The goal is a high number of resolved problems, ensuring our public servants secure justice for Fayette County families.
​Pillar 2: Formal Citizen Oversight and Magistrate Support
​Our public servants must answer to the public, and our existing legal system must be utilized effectively.
​Citizen Oversight: We will require all non-responsive agencies to establish a publicly accessible portal to track citizen complaints about non-response or misconduct. A summary of these complaints will be a standing item on every County Commission meeting agenda. This places continuous political pressure on the County Commission to demand performance.
​Magistrate Support: We will push for improved coordination between Animal Control and the Magistrate Court to ensure that once a citation is issued, it is processed quickly and repeat offenders are held fully liable under the law. We must support our Magistrates by delivering cases with the diligence required to secure effective penalties.
​The commitment is simple: We will enforce the laws already on the books, provide citizens with the ability to measure that enforcement, and ensure that chronic non-response is a thing of the past.
​It is time to make accountability mandatory, not optional, in Fayette County.

Preserving Fayette County: Proposed Smart Short-Term Rental Reform
​We are proposing comprehensive Short-Term Rental (STVR) regulations to protect our local neighborhoods and ensure housing remains available for the people who live and work here, while sustainably supporting our vibrant tourism economy.
​Our proposal seeks to implement three core principles:
​Protecting Residential Areas: We would impose new limits on STVR density and ownership exclusively within Residential Zoning Districts. This measure preserves the residential character of our neighborhoods while allowing STVRs to operate freely in Commercial and Mixed-Use zones.
​Prioritizing West Virginia Residents: We would establish a strict County-Wide Cap on the number of STVRs owned by Non-Resident Entities. This is a critical step to prevent large-scale investment from converting our homes into seasonal rentals, thereby protecting our local housing supply.
​Community-Focused Zoning: We would establish density caps for every neighborhood, guaranteeing that the majority of homes in any defined area remain dedicated to long-term residential use. For areas near the New River Gorge National Park, we propose a special Overlay District with adjusted limits to support tourism, while still maintaining essential protections for local residents.
​This proposed reform balances growth with community preservation. It upholds private property rights while putting control back into the hands of local residents.