WELLSBURG — Several matters pertaining to the upcoming elections and the early retirement of bonds sold for a project that was completed for less than $2 million of its estimated cost were before the Brooke County Commission on Tuesday.

The commissioners approved the retirement of bonds sold for the construction of the county’s judicial center, a facility that brought under one roof all of its courts, the prosecutor’s office and probation department.

The project was supported by the sale of $9.9 million in bonds.

Commission President A.J. Thomas said, “This decision puts Brooke County in a position very few local governments ever reach — completely debt-free.”

“Through careful financial planning, conservative budgeting and responsible use of one-time and sporadic revenues, we were able to pay these bonds off years ahead of schedule and save taxpayers millions in interest,” he said.

“The vast majority of these funds are not individual taxpayer funds,” said Thomas, who noted no increase in county property taxes was implemented for the construction.

“Instead, the funds used to retire the debt were generated primarily from oil and gas severance taxes collected from oil and gas producers by the state and distributed to the county, along with unused construction contingency funds from the project and prior-year surplus funds carried forward through conservative budgeting,” he said.

Thomas said while entering the project, the commission set aside 10 percent of its estimated cost for change orders but thanks in part to Russ Burns, its project manager, it saw only about $40,000 in change orders.

On Thursday, the commission re-allocated $766,086 from an unused certificate of deposit account set up for the project to the county’s rainy-day fund.

Thomas said the county will enter the next fiscal year with a carryover of $2.1 million.

He estimated by retiring the debt, the commission has avoided $4.2 million in long-term interest costs.

Thomas said county services weren’t slighted as a result of the judicial center’s construction, with the commission investing funds in the development of a new ambulance station and vehicles and equipment for the ambulance service, sheriff’s department and other first responders serving the county.

In other business, County Clerk Kimberly Barbetta announced local winners of the I Voted sticker contest organized by West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner.

They are Aisha Swango, first place; Raelynn Zankel, second place; and Ava Conley, third place. All attend Brooke Middle School.

Youth in the statewide contest were invited to design a logo for the stickers, which will be distributed to voters at this year’s elections. Four regional finalists will be announced Feb. 16, and a state winner will be named March 11.

The entries of the three county winners have been posted inside the front entrance of the Brooke County Courthouse.

In related business, the commission approved the payment of $25 per visit during each election to each of two ballot commissioners, to be appointed by the local Republican and Democratic executive committees.

Dale Butler, the county’s election clerk, said the two will be charged with delivering any needed materials to polling places and with transporting voters there, if requested, and must accompany each other in such tasks.

They also will proofread ballots and assist county election clerks during the canvass.

The commission agreed to establish a locked location, with security cameras, for the county’s electronic voting machines in an effort to prevent election fraud.

Two candidates have declared their candidacy for a seat on the county commission: Incumbent Stacey Wise of Follansbee and Kevin Himmelrick of Colliers. Both are Republicans.

Four persons have declared their candidacy for three seats on the Brooke County school board: Incumbents Kristin Newton of Follansbee, Stacy Paris (Hooper) of Weirton and Ted Pauls of Bethany and challenger Michael Traubert of Wellsburg.

Incumbents for two Brooke County magistrate positions and conservation district supervisor are unopposed.

Candidates were required to submit a candidacy form postmarked no later than Saturday.