Following one count each of the misdemeanor charge of Unauthorized Expenditure by a Local Official against all three members of the Tucker County Commission, the City of Elkins and an unnamed amount of other municipalities across the State have suspended similar payroll deduction programs.
According to the Advocate’s sister agency the Inter-Mountain, Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco confirmed to the news agency that the City of Elkins offered the program through which the City’s First Responders could take a payroll deduction to pay for items that included for law enforcement: service weapons and personal weapons.
While no date for inception was given, Marco did confirm the program had been in place for some time. However, following the arraignment of Tucker County Commissioners Michael Rosenau, Timothy Knotts and Fred Davis on the misdemeanor charges, programs across the State have been called into question. Marco also said the State Auditor’s Office was the entity that sent the hold order.
All other programs across the State have also been placed on hold, according to Marco. The State Auditor’s Office is working to determine the future of the programs, with the possibility of revamping, according to the Inter-Mountain.
As of now, Elkins is the only municipality, other than Tucker County, to be named publicly as having a payroll deduction program. To date, the Tucker County Commissioners are the only officials to have been charged for misappropriation of funds for such a program.
The basis of the charges stem from purchases in the amount of $3,990.75 made by Tucker County. In August 2025, purchases were voted on and approved by the Commission. All funds for expenditures were recorded to have been paid in full through payroll deductions. Previous purchases were made by Davis in 202, 2022, 2023 and 2024 through the program and repaid in full, according to court records.