Raleigh Commission votes to dissolve town of Rhodell

Josephine E. Moore, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.
Updated ·2 min read

A small mining town in Raleigh County, whose roots date back more than 80 years, has dissolved its municipality.

The decision to dissolve the town of Rhodell has been in the works for years but was made official Tuesday by a vote from the Raleigh County Commission.

County Attorney Bill Roop said town residents initiated the decision to dissolve the town.

“They couldn’t afford to continue to operate,” Roop said. “... There’s not one business down there.”

The town of Rhodell was incorporated in 1937. The town itself is roughly 200 acres and is situated at the junction of Tommy Creek and Stonecoal Creek in southern Raleigh County.

In the 1950s, the town’s population was around 829. Data from the 2022 census put Rhodell’s population at 138.

Raleigh County Commissioner Dave Tolliver said he remembers a time when the town was filled with residents and thriving businesses.

“In 1968, they had a theater, they had Graham’s Market, and they had another store there,” Tolliver said.

Tolliver said he can remember being called into the town while working as an ambulance driver after leaving the Army in 1968.

However, the businesses that Tolliver remembers are no longer present in the town, leaving the municipality with no source of income.

Roop said the residents elected to dissolve the town because of this lack of town income.

Town residents voted to dissolve the municipality in 2017 but could not do so while the town had outstanding debts.

Roop said the county has been working to settle the town’s debt by selling off town-owned property.

“Over the years, we’ve accumulated almost $91,000,” Roop said. “... Some of the property was sold through the state taxes. The state would owe the town of Rhodell certain monies. We just kept accumulating until we had enough money to pay off its debts.”

Roop said some of the debts were to federal and state governments.

With the municipality dissolved, Roop said the county will now be responsible for code enforcement and providing the town with emergency services.

“The fire will be taken over by Coal City Fire Department, police protection will be the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the emergency operating center) will now call the county agencies to take care of them,” Roop said.