At a Kanawha County Commission meeting on March 7, 2024, Deputy Tyler Americo, center, received the 2023 Deputy of the Year Award from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. He is flanked by Sheriff Mike Rutherford (at left) and Chief Deputy Joey Crawford (at right). In the background, from left are Kanawha County Commissioners Ben Salango, Lance Wheeler and Kent Carper.
Kanawha County Commissioners had a packed agenda Thursday evening which included approving the county’s $60 million budget, honoring the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year and learning that the required Judicial Building renovation will likely cost around $13.5 million.
This year’s budget is a $2 million increase from last year due to tax revenue increases. Eighty percent of that increase is uncontrolled costs such as insurance, leases and fuel, County Finance Director Kim Fleck told commissioners.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which last meeting asked for five additional staff members and pay raises for all staff members, was given three new positions and “a little pay bump†to get employee salaries to market rate, Commission President Lance Wheeler said after the meeting.
The new positions are to add staff to three new magistrate courts and one new circuit court added by the West Virginia Legislature in 2023.
Silling Architects of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä is designing the renovations for the Kanawha County Judicial Annex, shown in this rendering.
Courtesy photo
Judicial Building renovation
The new judges are also going to cost the county around $13.5 million in building renovations at the Kanawha County Judicial Building.
Jeremy Jones with Silling Architects presented renderings for the building to the commission. The big updates are:
Renovated entrance security design
Additional Circuit Court courtroom and judge’s offices
New jury deliberation suite
6 new Magistrate Court courtrooms and offices
Security improvements to separate jurors, staff and the public
Family Court judicial staff will also get a new elevator in the parking garage, and a conference room that will also serve as the grand jury room will overlook Court and Virginia street from the second floor of the building.
The architects had numerous discussions with judicial staff and sheriff’s deputies to find a solution that worked best for everyone. Under state law, the Supreme Court must also approve the design.
Pending final approval, the project is set to go out to bid in August, and construction will begin in October. The commission has already set aside $1.5 million and Wheeler said the county is exploring bond issuance opportunities.
The architecture firm is focusing first on the judge’s chambers for the new Circuit Court judge and believes that specific job can be finished by the end of the year.
There are options for the judge to share a courtroom or use a ceremonial courtroom if needed.
In a Facebook post, Silling Architects said the project has been planned for multiple phases to allow the courts to remain operational during construction.
At a Kanawha County Commission meeting on March 7, 2024, Deputy Tyler Americo, center, received the 2023 Deputy of the Year Award from the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. He is flanked by Sheriff Mike Rutherford (at left) and Chief Deputy Joey Crawford (at right). In the background, from left are Kanawha County Commissioners Ben Salango, Lance Wheeler and Kent Carper.
ASHLEY PERHAM | Gazette-Mail
Deputy of the Year
At the beginning of the meeting, the commission honored the deputy of the year for the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy from all seven KCSO divisions was chosen as a finalist. The winner was Deputy Tyler Americo from the B Shift and road patrol in the Elk Detachment, who has been on the force for three years.
County awards
The county also awarded funds to the following groups:
