West Virginia § 7-7-7 - 7-7-7. County assistants, deputies and employees; their number and compensation; county budget.

§ 7-7-7. 7-7-7. County assistants, deputies and employees; their number and compensation; county budget.

(a) The county clerk, circuit clerk, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney, by and with the advice and consent of the county commission, may appoint and employ, to assist them in the discharge of their official duties for and during their respective terms of office, assistants, deputies and employees. The county clerk may designate one or more of his or her assistants as responsible for all probate matters.

(b) The county clerk, circuit clerk, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney shall, prior to March 2 of each year, file with the county commission a detailed request for appropriations for anticipated or expected expenditures for their respective offices, including the compensation for their assistants, deputies and employees, for the ensuing fiscal year.

(c) The county commission shall, prior to March 29 of each year by order fix the total amount of money to be expended by the county for the ensuing fiscal year, which amount shall include the compensation of county assistants, deputies and employees. Each county commission shall enter its order upon its county commission record.

(d) The county clerk, circuit clerk, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney shall then fix the compensation of their assistants, deputies and employees based on the total amount of money designated for expenditure by their respective offices by the county commission and the amount expended shall not exceed the total expenditure designated by the county commission for each office.

(e) The county officials, in fixing the individual compensation of their assistants, deputies and employees and the county commission in fixing the total amount of money to be expended by the county, shall give due consideration to the duties, responsibilities and work required of the assistants, deputies and employees and their compensation shall be reasonable and proper.

(f) After the county commission has fixed the total amount of money to be expended by the county for the ensuing fiscal year and after each county official has fixed the compensation of each of his or her assistants, deputies and employees, as provided in this section, each county official shall file prior to June 30, with the clerk of the county commission, a budget statement for the ensuing fiscal year setting forth the name, or the position designation if then vacant, of each of his or her assistants, deputies and employees, the period of time for which each is employed, or to be employed if the position is then vacant, and his or her monthly or semimonthly compensation.

(g) All budget statements required to be filed by this section shall be verified by an affidavit by the county official making them. Among other things contained in the affidavit shall be the statement that the amounts shown in the budget statement are the amounts actually paid or intended to be paid to the assistants, deputies and employees without rebate, and without any agreement, understanding or expectation that any part thereof shall be repaid to him or her, and that, prior to the time the affidavit is made, nothing has been paid or promised him or her on that account, and that if he or she shall thereafter receive any money, or thing of value, on account thereof, he or she will account for and pay the same to the county. Until the statements required by this section have been filed, no allowance or payments shall be made to any county official or their assistants, deputies and employees.

(h) Each county official named in this section shall have the authority to discharge any of his or her assistants, deputies or employees by filing with the clerk of the county commission a discharge statement specifying the discharge action: Provided, That no deputy sheriff appointed pursuant to the provisions of article fourteen, chapter seven of this code, shall be discharged contrary to the provisions of that article.