About the Recorder

Our Mission

The Jefferson County Recorder publishes plain-language summaries of public government meetings in Jefferson County, West Virginia — covering the Board of Education, County Commission, town councils, and other local bodies.

We believe local democracy works better when residents can quickly learn what was decided at last Tuesday’s meeting without reading a 40-page PDF. Our goal is to be the fastest, clearest path from “something happened at the meeting” to “here’s what it means for you.”

What We Cover

• ▸Jefferson County Board of Education — School budgets, curriculum, personnel, facilities
• ▸Jefferson County Commission — Zoning, land use, tax levies, county contracts, infrastructure
• ▸Charles Town & Ranson City Councils — Local ordinances, budgets, development
• ▸Planning Commission — Land use applications and development reviews
• ▸Other bodies — Board of Health, Library Board, Parks & Rec, and more as newsworthy

Methodology

Each summary is produced by reviewing official meeting minutes and/or recorded video published by the relevant government body. We do not paraphrase quotes we have not personally verified against official transcripts or recordings.

We aim for an 8th-grade reading level. Acronyms are defined on first use. Monetary figures include context (e.g., “$450,000, roughly 8% of the annual facilities budget”).

We are nonpartisan and have no affiliation with any political party, elected official, or government agency. We do not editorialize. We report votes, actions, and stated rationales — not our opinions about them.

Corrections Policy

We take accuracy seriously. If you believe a summary contains a factual error, please email us with the specific claim and the corrected information along with a source. We commit to:

• Reviewing corrections within 24 hours
• Publishing corrections prominently on the affected summary page
• Noting the original publication date and the correction date

Legal Notes

All meeting minutes summarized here are public records under West Virginia law. We do not reproduce full documents verbatim. We quote named individuals only from official transcripts and minutes. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice.