Mark Downs - Morgantown City Council, 6th Ward

06/08/2026

When did caring about others start making you a radical?

The former Bartlett House location at West Run is headed toward foreclosure. WV Coalition to End Homelessness stepped up and was operating the facility as a temporary warming shelter this winter and supportive housing full time. That is ending with the foreclosure.

Plans aren’t immediately known and WVCEH is going to do their best to look out for everyone who is relying on their services there, but this just sucks. We were already short on beds and supportive housing in the area. This is likely going to things even harder.

The bottom line is, we need a year-round shelter, we need more supportive housing, and we need someone responsible for making sure people don’t get lost in transitions.

These are neighbors. We should act like it.

Send a message to learn more

05/17/2026

This week had a lot of focus on neighborhoods, public safety, infrastructure, community service, and economic development.

Our Greenmont Neighborhood Association subcommittee continued work on a possible neighborhood business overlay. Good zoning should help make neighborhoods more complete, more interesting, and more useful for the people who live there. It could support small, neighborhood serving businesses that add character, meet local needs, and make Greenmont an even cooler place to live.

We are also working with the Civilian Police Review and Advisory Board on ways to support its continued work. As part of that effort, City Manager Miller and I worked with the Morgantown Police Department on a report the Board has been working to get built. The goal is to connect the Board’s priorities with what can be reliably produced from the current records system.

The Cobun Creek bridge ribbon cutting was also this week. Projects like this improve daily life, support outdoor recreation, and connect people to places that make Morgantown special.

There was good news for the Morgantown Municipal Airport. Senator Capito recommended $25 million in Community Project Funding for the runway extension, and Senator Justice recommended $15 million. These are not final awards yet, but they are major steps forward for a project that can support long term growth and strengthen an important public asset.

Development Services reform remains an important focus. The goal is to make permitting and review clearer, more predictable, and more accountable while still protecting safety.

Finally, yesterday I volunteered at a Sleep in Heavenly Peace memorial bed build in honor of a dear friend, Chris Boland. Chris was selfless and loved giving back to his community. This project was one of his passions, and I was honored to take part with friends from Morgantown Forward.

About 100 people showed up, and together we built 55 beds in about five hours. It was incredible.

Community development happens in many ways. Sometimes it is policy, planning, infrastructure, and economic development. And sometimes it is volunteers building beds for kids in honor of someone who gave so much.

05/15/2026

Happy birthday, PODA!

05/08/2026

Have you heard? The rumors are true!!

Ive been working with a few other members of Council to bring back Morgantown's 4th of July Parade to High Street in !!

Parades, to me, are one of those community building, small town traditions- just like the holiday lights we successfully brought back to High Street this past season. I'm so happy that this has all come together! Special thanks to Council, past parade organizers who have loaned their expertise, MPD, MFD, Public Works, UPD, and City Administration.

With that, we're hoping to make this parade the best one yet! We hope you'll consider participating- by joining the procession, volunteering, or simply attending! If you're interested, register here: https://forms.gle/yGMnzvyoqeQGvDRo6 (also available in Insta bio)

We've got several groups already committed to constructing floats and other shenanigans (👀 at you ) that will make this an exciting event. I'm also finalizing details on a bicycle procession to kick off the festivities- stay tuned for more details on that soon!

Immediately following the parade, head down to for the celebration. Park opens at 5p and entertainment begins at 7p.

This 4th of July, downtown Morgantown is certainly the place to be!

04/29/2026

This was a lot of fun! First time co-hosting with my dear friend Louis Giuliani which made it extra special.

04/25/2026

There’s been a lot of discussion about the City’s finances and the service fee, but this isn’t a one issue conversation.

Doing nothing on funding and costs is not a neutral option. It means services decline over time. We need to act to ensure we can maintain the services our residents and stakeholders rely on.

You can see that most clearly in the condition of our roads and infrastructure.

We have to look at all of it.

That includes reviewing costs across the organization, including staffing, contracts, and long-standing allocations, to make sure we are spending wisely.

It also means taking a hard look at where we have flexibility. That includes sales tax allocations and other automatic funding decisions that were set years ago. Those should be revisited to reflect today’s priorities and give council the ability to respond to changing needs.

We also need to fix how we operate. Streamlining permitting and development processes can reduce costs, improve compliance, and make it easier to invest and build in Morgantown. That strengthens our revenue base without going back to the same people over and over.

There is no single fix here. It takes cost control, better systems, and growth.

That’s the work in front of us.

If you have thoughts, I’d encourage you to come out this Tuesday at 6:00 pm at City Hall and be part of the conversation.

04/08/2026

Last night, City Council approved a project at the Easton Roller Mill. We don’t yet know the full cost of repairs or improvements to make the mill occupiable but are spending tax dollars nevertheless.

The property is not even in city limits.

At the same time, we are holding positions open, not providing COLA, cutting services and partner funding, facing rising health insurance costs, and deferring basic road maintenance.

This is not about whether the mill has historic value. It is about priorities and responsibility.

We should not be taking on open ended financial obligations outside the city while we are struggling to maintain core services inside it.

This is exactly how you create long term financial strain. We have seen this before. We are dealing with the fallout of decisions like this now. I would think we would know better.

If you share these concerns, contact City Council and ask them to prioritize core city services instead of subsidizing projects outside city limits.

https://wajr.com/2026/04/07/morgantown-city-council-approves-bid-by-veritas-contracting-for-easton-roller-mill-improvements/

03/22/2026

Congratulations to the Town of Granville for being recognized as the 2026 CASA for Kids Community Partner Award winner.

This is a meaningful acknowledgment of the Town’s commitment to supporting children and families in our region, and to showing up for those who need it most.

Partnerships like this are what strengthen communities. Mayor Patty Lewis and Granville continue to lead by example, and this recognition is well deserved.

Thank you to CASA for Kids for the important work you do helping kids every day, and for highlighting communities that step up.

01/29/2026

For awareness. The airport is still working to clear snow and ice from the runway to ensure the safety and passengers and crew. Stay tuned for updates as they work hard to restore normal operations.

NOTICE:

Following the recent winter weather event, Morgantown Airport continues to address icy runway conditions. Due to the mixed precipitation received, restoring safe landing conditions is taking slightly longer than usual. Weather-related delays and closings are not uncommon during this time of year.

The safety of our passengers, pilots, flight crews, and airport personnel remains our highest priority. We anticipate returning to full operations within the next few days and appreciate the public’s patience and understanding. For flight schedules and weather related updates, passengers are encouraged to visit United.com or United’s Travel Alerts page at https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/trip-planning/travel-alerts.html.

Thank you!

01/21/2026

If people aren’t counted, resources can’t follow. PIT Count 2026 is January 28–29. Volunteer and help your community get what it needs.
wvceh.org/pit

If you can’t volunteer but want to help, please consider attending the Warm Up fundraiser on the same night. It’s starts at 6pm at the Co-Op in Downtown! It’s going to be a great night!
https://facebook.com/events/s/warm-up-a-community-event-to-b/1881135506105825/