Rusty Morgan grew up in Jefferson County. He attended the University of Virginia, studying art and art history. He moved with his wife Cricket to Wisconsin, where they ran a farm for 15 years, then returned to Jefferson County to be with his aging parents and take over the family farm. In 2002 he became a Jefferson County commissioner. He has served on several boards, including the Jefferson Memorial Hospital for 10 years. In May 2008, he will face Bob Adams in the Republican primary for the West Virginia State Senate.

OBSERVER:  Why are you running for state senate?
MORGAN: It didn’t take me long as county commissioner to realize that we are very limited in our authority. The reality is that the state legislature has the real authority.

OBSERVER: What do you want to achieve in Charleston?
MORGAN: I guess the number one thing is keep taxes reasonable. We are in real danger with property taxes. The review process is ridiculous. I would like to see the California system adopted. This freezes taxes at their level at the time you purchased your home, and caps increases up to one percent each year. We could have a one- to five-percent increase each year in Jefferson County. I would also support an exemption for people over 65 years old.

OBSERVER:  What else would you work on?
MORGAN: The most important thing in the Eastern Panhandle and the state is to attract more economic development. The way to do that is to get a tax structure in place and to have first class schools. In Ireland they had an economic transformation. They did this by investing in young people and schools.

OBSERVER: Are you in favor of locality pay for teachers?
MORGAN: Yes, it is the only practical solution.

OBSERVER: What about the counter arguments: that other areas need increases in teachers’ pay; that we will never catch up with pay in adjacent states; that we don’t have enough money to do this?
MORGAN: That is the reality. We are a very poor state. I don’t think politically it is going to happen.

OBSERVER: Bob Adams has said that Rusty Morgan seems like a nice guy but he is part of a dysfunctional county commission.
MORGAN: That sounds absurd to me. First, in spite of personalities, [the county commission] is a very productive group. We deal with a lot of difficult and complex issues. We are totally overworked. We don’t have the staff support we need. I am not criticizing the staff we have—we just don’t have the resources we need. It is hard to follow up on details.

OBSERVER: He also said you made a big fuss about clearing up the trash next to the Shenandoah River, but never got it cleaned up.
MORGAN: It is really ridiculous [for Adams] to pick one item. I have been down that river my whole life. It is a disaster area. I tried to get Parks and Recreation to take a greater interest. I talked with Alleghany Power, the sheriff’s office, the state. There is an opportunity for improvement. It takes more than I can do.

OBSERVER: I guess his point is this: If Morgan can’t clean up the trash next to the Shenandoah River, how will he clear up the trash in Charleston?
MORGAN: Maybe he is right, but that is to ignore the hundreds of others things I have followed through on. For example, there was no dialogue on affordable housing when I joined the county commission. I took that on single-handedly. We had meetings in churches. We developed membership. We went to the County Commission for support.

OBSERVER: What have you achieved on this issue? How many affordable houses have been provided?
MORGAN: Not any at this point. But we are on the verge of doing it. We are looking for land now. We are still trying to get 501c3 status. We have a fulltime employee. I have no doubt we will be successful. I think it is insulting to the hundreds of hours that have been donated by volunteers and members of community who have worked hard to move this ahead.

OBSERVER: Bob Adams has a rich background in Republican national politics. For example, he was press secretary for Pat Buchanan. He worked for various conservative lobbying groups, and founded Birthright in Jefferson County. Where do you fall on social values in the Republican Party?
MORGAN: I am pro-choice, like Shelly Moore Capito.

OBSERVER: And how about civil unions for same sex couples?
MORGAN: I don’t have strong feelings about it. It’s okay with me, I guess.

OBSERVER: Not necessarily mainstream Republican views.
MORGAN: I’m just a guy who wants to do his best for the community. I am a listener and a brooder. I role play. I try to understand the side I don’t agree with. I don’t think in terms of that rigid ideology. I believe in personal freedoms, lower taxes, and that private industry solutions are better than government wherever possible. I am not going to worry about whether people think I’m a Republican or not. All that flag waving, the circus environment, is fine for people who enjoy that kind of thing. I am just out there doing day-to-day work that keeps the community together. I don’t like divisiveness. [laughs] I don’t really like arguing much either.
OBSERVER: How do you feel about Bill 4511, which will allow for a referendum on the new zoning ordinance?
MORGAN:  We have to live with it. I’m not afraid of [the bill], but I’m not in favor of it. It doesn’t jive with what representative government should be. There is always the ultimate referendum at the polls every few years. That is how America is supposed to work. There is no way all citizens can be fully informed on these complex issues.

OBSERVER: Yet some people want to trip the zoning process up.
MORGAN: They are clearly anti-zoning. They want to upset the whole zoning process. This would create uncertainly in the community. It could have devastating results, particularly for industry and business who might be considering investing here.

OBSERVER: In late February 2008, Judge Thomas Steptoe ruled that the amendments to the Jefferson County zoning ordinance approved by the county commission in April 2005 were invalid. He said that the planning commission was meant to have held public hearings on the amendments, but they didn’t. That must have been maddening
MORGAN: That week was the toughest week in my five years on the Commission. It was very disappointing. Judge Steptoe did what he had to do. I don’t criticize him. We should have held another series of hearings and fixed the problem once the lawsuit started. We could have fixed it a long time ago.

OBSERVER: Why didn’t you?
MORGAN: Not a single commissioner remembered it was in still in litigation.

OBSERVER: There were no reports from the county attorneys?
MORGAN: No. We have asked for those things and we haven’t got them.
OBSERVER: And the attorneys did not provide legal advice saying that the planning commission needed to hold hearings before moving ahead with the amendments?
MORGAN: No, they didn’t.

OBSERVER: Who is ultimately responsible for providing legal advice and reports to the commission?
MORGAN: I guess [prosecuting attorney] Mike Thompson, ultimately. We also bear responsibility. We can’t duck our responsibilities.

OBSERVER: What is the remedy to all this?
MORGAN: We will go for a stay on the decision and then probably appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

OBSERVER: If you win the primary, you will run against Herb Snyder, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Why should you be elected rather than him?
MORGAN: I see he was in Charleston for eight years. This certainly coincided with a spurt in growth in Jefferson county. I’m not sure he recognized the true needs of the county at the time.

OBSERVER: Is he pro-growth?
MORGAN: Yes, I would say his family is clearly in that camp. I am not anti-growth, but I want an orderly process to manage the intense pressures on our county. His brother is a developer. I think he is as well.

OBSERVER: What is your view on allowing table gaming in Jefferson County. Would you try and get a better deal for the county?
MORGAN: I would certainly try. I know that is what the public wants.

OBSERVER: Is this possible?
MORGAN: Yes.

OBSERVER: You voted in favor of it in 2007. Would you vote for it again if it came back the same in 2009?
MORGAN: Yes. The only reason I would is that we lost $2 million each year for schools. The legislators said they got the best deal they could get. I don’t like turning down money for schools. I’m separating my personal views on gambling—I would just as soon it all go away. But I don’t think it is good to be turning money away. The sheriff says he hasn’t seen problems [as a result of gambling] . The racetrack has kept the environment contained. By and large, it is clean and, except for some traffic, there is not a huge downside to the community.