W. Va. Code § 11-1A-29 — Requirements for state employees and employees of designated agents; legislative findings; modification of existing contract for mass appraisal; exemption of certain appraisal employees of Tax Commissioner from civil service

Of the whole number of persons engaged in the reappraisement process, ninety-five percent of all persons employed by the state and its designated agents in this state to conduct any part of the reappraisal shall be residents of the state. The Legislature finds that the process of reappraisement, the acceptance of the results by the public, and the deeply held attitudes and outlook of the citizens of the state require, for the success of the reappraisement and the acceptance of the widespread resulting adjustments in assessment values, that this stringent requirement be strictly adhered to, to the end that school revenues and other local income and taxation have the benefit of the reappraisement as promptly as possible.
On the effective date of this section, the contract of the state for mass appraisal of residential properties and other reappraisal services shall be modified as follows:
(1) To conform with this article; and
(2) To remove from the contract data encoders and other clerical help, at an aggregate reduction in cost under the contract of at least $3 million.
After investigation, the Legislature finds that the contractor is amenable to the modification of its contract to conform with the requirements of this article. The Tax Commissioner is directed to conform such contract to the requirements of this article within ten days after the effective date of this section.
The data encoders and other clerical employee positions required to be transferred from the contract to state employment pursuant to this section, being temporary positions requiring prompt employment of limited duration are hereby classified exempt for the purposes of article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code. The Tax Commissioner is hereby granted plenary authority, subject only to the supervision of the Governor, to determine all terms and conditions of employment of such employees.