In 2022, Gov. Justice and the Department of Revenue celebrated some of the best revenue collection numbers in West Virginia history.
In July, the Governor announced the state's cumulative revenue collections for Fiscal Year 2022 finished at $1.308 billion over estimate – shattering the all-time record for the biggest single-year revenue surplus in state history. Total collections for the historic revenue year came in at $5.888 billion – 22.1% ahead of prior year adjusted collections – marking the first time in State history that final collections for a single year have exceeded $5 billion.
Gov. Justice announced at the beginning of December that FY23 year-to-date record collections are $687.5 million above estimate. Collections for the first five months of this fiscal year exceeded total severance tax collections for all of Fiscal Year 2021 by more than 2.3 times.
“Our revenue collections continue to exceed our expectations in an incredible way,” Gov. Justice said. “West Virginians spoke loud and clear with their vote in the election – they want tax cuts, but they want them done responsibly."
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This year, Gov. Justice joined the Department of Economic Development in welcoming almost a dozen new companies to West Virginia. These businesses are investing $4.7 billion into their new facilities and operations with plans to create more than 3,200 new jobs for West Virginians.
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In 2022, the West Virginia Department of Tourism celebrated several successes starting with yet again being named a top ten travel destination. This time by both Frommers and USA Today.
In September, Gov. Justice announced that West Virginia’s tourism industry was up 3.8 percent over pre-pandemic levels. Projections for 2022 showed another outstanding year with West Virginia expected to surpass $5 billion in travel spending for the first time in the state's history.
To celebrate the state's 159th birthday, the Department of Tourism debuted nine handcrafted, larger-than-life Almost Heaven swings located in some of the state’s most scenic locations.
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Gov. Justice joined officials from the Department of Tourism and the Department of Transportation this year to unveil three routes of the new West Virginia Mountain Rides program. It's a collaborative partnership to designate and promote the Mountain State’s most scenic country roads to drive by car or motorcycle.
The routes include:
Cranberry Corridor - a spectacular loop that will take travelers across 211.1 miles of the central and eastern portions of the state.
Capitol Circle – a scenic loop that will take travelers along Route 60 East through the southern portion of the state.
Seneca Skyway – a scenic loop of US Route 219 and WV Route 92.
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This year, Gov. Justice and leaders with West Virginia State Parks celebrated the completion of several multimillion-dollar renovation projects that updated lodges, cabins, campgrounds, and more.
In February, the Governor celebrated the grand reopening of Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley Resort state parks after $9.5 million in upgrades including a completely renovated lodge and cabin upgrades at Blackwater Falls and improvements to the tube park, ski area, cabins, and campground at Canaan Valley Resort State Park.
In April, they announced the completion of $5.7 million in upgrades at North Bend State Park. Lodge upgrades included renovations to the lodge’s guest rooms, lobby, front desk, gift shop, and restaurant, as well as improvements to the lodge exterior, walkways, guest room corridors, and landscaping
And in May, the Governor joined Tourism Secretary Chelsea Ruby and West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Brett McMillion to celebrate the completion of $8 million in upgrades at Pipestem Resort State Park. Upgrades included renovations to the park’s two lodges, cabin upgrades, and infrastructure improvements to the park’s tram, wastewater treatment plant, and campground waterline.
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In March, Gov. Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice announced the first statewide school therapy dog program in West Virginia. The program, called Friends With Paws, places certified therapy dogs in schools across the state, providing companionship and comfort for students in need of a boost.
As of December 2022, 9 therapy dogs have been placed in CIS schools across the state. Locations include:
Welch Elementary, McDowell County - Coal
Buckhannon Academy Elementary, Upshur County - Foster
Lewis County High School, Lewis County - Jasper
Pineville Elementary School, Wyoming County - River
Moorefield Elementary, Hardy County - Shadow
Spring Mills High School, Berkeley County - Jet
Lenore PK-8 School, Mingo County - Kylo
Wayne Elementary School, Wayne County - Winnie
Green Bank Elementary-Middle School, Pocahontas County - Kasha
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In July, First Lady Justice and the Governor announced the addition of five new counties to Communities In Schools WV. A total of 15 schools in Logan, Marshall, Monroe, Ohio, and Randolph counties were added to the program which aims to forge community partnerships and bring resources into schools to help remove barriers to student learning with a goal of keeping all students in school and ultimately graduating.
The Governor and First Lady started CIS in three counties in 2018. The program has now expanded to 36 counties, serving well over 70,000 students in 186 schools across the state.
In September, the First Lady and Gov. Justice announced the launch of the official website for CIS. More information about the impact of CIS across the state can be found on the website’s home page under “Our Impact.”
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Since Gov. Justice has taken office, upgrading West Virginia’s roads has been a top priority, and that was certainly the case this year.
Gov. Justice announced an investment of $449.4 million in road projects this year to improve ease of travel, safety, and tourism.
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The 2022 projects include:
Coalfields Expressway Expansion - Groundbreaking in August 2022 to build a 5.12-mile section of highway from Welch to WV 16, connecting the southern West Virginia town with the Coalfields Expressway.
Wheeling Streetscape Project - Groundbreaking in September 2022 to widen sidewalks, add decorative brickwork, ADA-compliant curb cuts, decorative lighting and traffic signals, and plants and trees along Main and Market streets in downtown Wheeling between 10th Street and 16th Street.
Culloden Interchange Project - Groundbreaking in November 2022 to build an interchange that will connect US 60 in Culloden with I-64 between Hurricane and Milton.
Hal Greer Boulevard Renovation Contract - Awarded contract in December 2022 to make Hal Greer Boulevard from Washington Avenue to 3rd Avenue in Huntington more user-friendly for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, and to make the corridor more attractive.
Nitro WWI Memorial Bridge Westbound Lanes - In October, Gov. Justice opened the westbound lanes of the new Nitro WWI Memorial Bridge which was built to alleviate a bad bottleneck on one of the busiest sections of I-64.
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Under Gov. Justice’s leadership, 2022 was a busy year for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) for several reasons. In September, the DNR stocked over 20,000 Bobwhite Quail at seven different Wildlife Management Areas in West Virginia.
In October, the DNR stocked 40 lakes and streams with 30,000 Monster Trout, 2,500 of which were trophy-size rainbows raised at local hatcheries and the White Sulphur Springs Federal Hatchery. There were also major upgrades to the Bowden Fish Hatchery just outside of Elkins.
In December, Gov. Justice surprised DNR Police Officers with a $6,000 pay raise in tandem with the launch of the division's new K-9 program, when six canines that will assist with search and rescue missions were introduced.
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In an unprecedented tour of West Virginia, Gov. Justice held Community Conversations across the state, vocalizing his opposition towards Amendment 2, which voters overwhelmingly rejected on the November ballot 65% to 35%.
Gov. Justice visited 27 different locations during his Community Conversation tour, illuminating the risks associated with Amendment 2, which would have given the West Virginia Legislature the power to repeal property taxes on vehicles and on business machinery, equipment and inventory, potentially putting county services in question because of lack of funding.
During his tour, Gov. Justice also announced the Car and All Vehicles Tax Elimination and Protection of Local Government Act, which will credit property taxes paid on certain vehicles back to taxpayers without amending the West Virginia Constitution, as proposed by Amendment 2. Gov. Justice said he plans to send this bill up during the 2023 legislative session.
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West Virginia made huge strides in the fight against COVID-19 this year with Gov. Justice introducing two programs to help get people back on their feet.
During this year’s State of the State Address, Gov. Justice announced the Jumpstart Program to incentivize people to get back to work by issuing a one-time payment of $1,500 for those who met certain requirements.
Then in March, Gov. Justice announced the West Virginia Homeowners Rescue Program, in an effort to help homeowners who have experienced financial hardship because of the pandemic. The program provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners for qualified mortgage or housing-related expenses to avoid delinquency, default, foreclosure, loss of utilities or home energy services, and displacement.
Gov. Justice also announced the four winners of the Do it for Babydog: Senior Center Edition sweepstakes:
Hamlin Senior Center, Lincoln County
Lindside Senior Center, Monroe County
Senior Monghalians, Monongalia County
Petersburg Senior Center, Grant County
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In 2022, Gov. Justice celebrated breaking the all-time record for the lowest unemployment rate recorded in state history. In May 2022, West Virginia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 3.5%.
“More and more major businesses are setting up shop in West Virginia or expanding their existing operations in our state,” Gov. Justice added. “We are on the rocket ship ride that I promised. It’s an exciting time in our state, where West Virginians can hold their heads high to the outside world and – for the first time in a long time – they can truly be proud of where they come from.”
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