West Virginia Code Chapter 13. Public Bonded Indebtedness § 13-1-3. Amount and purpose of indebtedness for which bonds may be issued

No political division authorized by this article to issue bonds, except county boards of education, shall by any bond issue, become indebted to an amount, including all other indebtedness, exceeding two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property therein, as shown by the last assessment thereof, for state and county purposes, next prior to the issuing of such bonds: Provided, that any county for the erection and equipment of a courthouse and/or jail for such county, with funds borrowed from the government of the United States or any governmental agency, federal or state, and any municipal corporation of three hundred inhabitants or more, for the purpose of grading, paving, sewering, and otherwise improving or reimproving its streets and alleys, or for establishing and maintaining a library or museum for the public use, or a building or structure for educational purposes, or acquiring a recreation park for the public use, or for acquiring, constructing, furnishing, equipping and maintaining civic arenas, auditoriums, exhibition halls and theaters, may become indebted and issue bonds in an additional sum not exceeding two and one-half percent of the value of the taxable property therein, ascertained as aforesaid: Provided, however, That no county board of education authorized by this article to issue bonds, shall, by any bond issue, become indebted, in any manner, or for any purpose, to an amount, including all other indebtedness, in the aggregate, exceeding five percent on the value of the taxable property therein, in the county school district to be ascertained by the last assessment for state and county taxes, previous to the incurring of such indebtedness, in the manner provided by the “School Bond Amendment,” as ratified.

The term “sewering” as used herein shall be treated in a comprehensive sense, so as to include all mains, laterals, connections, traps, incinerating and disposal plants, and other necessary and convenient accessories to a modern sanitary and efficient sewerage system and shall include storm sewers.

The county court of any county is hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate and sell to the government of the United States or to any governmental agency, federal or state, at private sale, at not less than par any bonds issued for the purpose of erecting and equipping a courthouse or other public buildings for such county, under and by virtue of this article, without first offering them for sale at public auction, or to any other person or agency.