(A) The City Council finds that the city provides to all individuals within its borders certain services, whether they are residents employed within the city, or individuals living outside the city and employed within the corporate boundaries of the city.
(B) The City Council finds that such services include public works, street department functions, street maintenance, capital projects and public health and safety.
(C) The City Council finds that such services are within the authority and are the responsibility of the municipal government of the city as provided under the general laws of the State of West Virginia.
(D) The City Council finds that since such services are essential to the creation and maintenance of those jobs which provide livelihood to all individuals employed within the city, as well as to the property interests of residents and visitors to the city, it is therefore reasonable to derive a portion of the cost of providing and maintaining such services from said individuals.
(E) The City Council finds that W. V. Code § 8-13-13 provides that every municipality has the plenary power and authority to provide by ordinance for the installation, continuance, maintenance or improvement of such services, to make reasonable regulations with respect thereto, and to impose by ordinance upon the users of such services reasonable rates, fees and charges to be collected in the manner prescribed by ordinance.
(F) The City Council finds that all of those individuals who use, enjoy and benefit from these services should bear an equitable share of the costs thereof. Council acknowledges that the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia has recognized that no system of assessing the costs will be absolutely perfect and that municipalities are only required to install a reasonable system of distributing the costs of all of the users that it can reach through reasonable and prudent means and legislation.
(G) The City Council finds that the imposition of the Weirton Municipal Service Fee established herein is a reasonable system for distributing the costs to all users that the city can reach through reasonable and prudent means and legislation.
(Ord. 1417, passed 3-8-04)