MORGANTOWN – Morgantown City Council on Tuesday tabled the first reading of an ordinance establishing a municipal ID program.
City Manager Jamie Miller recommended the action, explaining the program, as presented, has drawn significant public feedback as well as the attention of the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office.
The ordinance states, in part, “Whenever the provisions of identification is referenced in any section of the City Code, or in any ordinance of the City hereafter adopted, or required by state or federal law, any City official responsible for receiving such identification shall accept a municipal identification card issued by the City as such identification …”
The city has confirmed that “any city official” includes election workers and the Morgantown Police Department.
“The Morgantown Municipal ID does not carry state or federal authorization or privileges. The Morgantown Police Department will recognize it as an initial form of identification when interacting with members of the public, at any time, if no other ID is available. In those cases, MPD will still cross-reference the individual’s information across applicable databases to verify identity,” Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffee told The Dominion Post.
The issue behind Tuesday evening’s decision to allow time for “additional dialogue” seems to focus more on use of the city-vetted ID card to participate in municipal elections.
Miller said city leadership does not believe the program runs afoul of state election law.
“I do think it’s valid to state that the proposed municipal ID program does not surpass or circumvent the voter registration guidelines in West Virginia. Voter registration is administered by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office and requires a person to be a U.S. citizen, resident of the county where they are registering, and 18 years of age in order to register. All of those requirements remain intact,” Miller said. “However, the program as presented has provided some confusion on whether or not the municipal ID program would allow for additional voting rights. That was not the intended goal, to provide that confusion, and I do believe it’s in the best interest for us to have some additional dialogue, particularly with members of the Secretary of State’s office, related to the program.”
During council’s January planning meeting, Special Projects Coordinator Shannon Davis, who will oversee the vetting process and distribute the ID cards, said applicants would need to provide at least four points of proof establishing their identity as well as two points of proof establishing city residency to be approved for an ID card.
Some of the concerns raised centered around the acceptance of documents issued outside the United States as valid proof of identity.
The city webpage explaining the program’s details, including what documents would be accepted, is no longer accessible.
City officials have said the purpose of the program is to provide a secure, low-cost option for individuals living in the city who may face barriers securing a state or federal form of ID.
