MORGANTOWN – The Monongalia County Commission has asked the Monongalia Emergency Medical Services Board of Directors to consider changes to its bylaws that would give the commission increased representation on the board.
Mon EMS was formed in a 2019 merger of EMS services provided by Mon Health (now Vandalia Health) and WVU Medicine.
Under its existing bylaws, the board’s voting members consist of two representatives from Vandalia Health, two representatives from WVU Medicine and two community representatives – one appointed by each of the health systems.
The board also has two non-voting ex officio members – the Mon EMS executive director, and the director of MECCA 911.
While it’s not explicitly stated that the MECCA 911 director is the county’s representative on the board, that’s how the body has functioned.
“Whenever the joint venture was coming about, bylaws were written for the Mon EMS board, and I think that the way that the board membership was actually written in the bylaws was not necessarily the intent of the commission,” County Administrator Rennetta McClure said during a recent work session with representatives from Mon EMS.
McClure said it wasn’t the commission’s intention that the person serving as MECCA 911 director would always be the county’s representative.
Further, the commission was not aware that its representative had no vote.
In response, the body has asked Mon EMS to consider two changes in that regard. One, that the commission selects its representative to serve on the board and, perhaps more importantly, that the commission appointee become a voting member of the board.
Commission President Tom Bloom said he feels the commission should have at least one voting member on the board, if not two, given that so much of the agency’s funding is generated through an excess levy that is collected and distributed by the county.
Financials included in the 2025 Annual Report issued by Mon EMS indicate that the agency received approximately $6.1 million in levy revenue in fiscal year 2025. That represents just under half of total revenues received for the year.
“In no way do I want the commission telling you all what to do. But I would like to have our voice heard with a voting member so they have the opportunity to explain where we’re coming from,” Bloom said.
Further, in light of the use of public funds generated through the levy, it was also requested by the commission that the Mon EMS board add into its bylaws that its meetings will follow the stipulations of the Open Meetings Act.
“That’s just an ask of the commission for transparency – for this board to follow those same requirements that the commission is required to follow,” Commissioner Sean Sikora said.
The commission’s request regarding the Mon EMS bylaws come months after Forest Weyen was removed as Mon EMS’s executive director. Weyen was hired in September 2019, shortly after the merger creating the agency was finalized.
Chris Goode, representing WVU Medicine on the Mon EMS Board of Directors, said the process of recruiting and hiring a new executive director is under way.
