Terms Used In West Virginia Code > Chapter 8 > Article 27 - Intergovernmental Relations -- Urban Mass Transportation Systems

• Administrative authority: shall mean the officer, commission, or person responsible for the conduct and management of the affairs of the municipality in accordance with the charter, general law, and the ordinances, resolutions, and orders of the governing body thereof. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Articles of incorporation: includes , but is not limited to, amended and restated articles of incorporation and articles of merger. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Articles of incorporation: includes , but is not limited to, amended and restated articles of incorporation and articles of merger. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Authority: means any urban mass transportation authority created pursuant to the provisions of this article. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Board: means the board of any urban mass transportation authority. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• board of directors: means the group of persons vested with management of the affairs of the corporation irrespective of the name by which the group is designated. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Charter: shall mean , except where specific reference is made to a particular type of charter, either a special legislative charter (whether or not amended under the provisions of former §. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• City: is a word of art and shall mean, include, and be limited to any Class I, Class II, and Class III city, as classified in section three of this article (except in those instances where the context in which used clearly indicates that a particular class of city is intended), heretofore or hereafter incorporated as a municipal corporation under the laws of this state, however created and whether operating under: (i) A special legislative charter. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Code: shall mean the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as heretofore and hereafter amended. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Contiguous counties: means two or more counties which constitute a compact territorial unit within an unbroken boundary wherein one county touches at least one other county, but does not require that each county touch all of the other counties so combining. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• County commission: shall mean the governmental body created by section 22, article eight of the Constitution of this state, or any existing tribunal created in lieu of a county commission. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• County court: includes any existing tribunal created in lieu of a county commission. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• delivery: means any method of delivery used in conventional commercial practice, including, but not limited to, delivery by hand, mail, commercial delivery and electronic transmission. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Distribution: means a direct or indirect transfer of money or other property or incurrence of indebtedness by a corporation to or for the benefit of its shareholders in respect of any of its shares: Provided, That "distribution" does not include a direct or indirect transfer of a corporation'. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• electronically transmitted: means any process of communication not directly involving the physical transfer of paper that is suitable for the retention, retrieval and reproduction of information by the recipient. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Employee: includes an officer and may include a director: Provided, That the director has accepted duties that make him or her also an employee. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Entity: includes corporation and foreign corporations. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Facilities and equipment: means all real and personal property of every kind and character owned or held by any urban mass transportation system for the purpose of providing transportation by bus or rail or other conveyance serving the public. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Foreign corporation: means any nonprofit corporation which is incorporated under a law other than the laws of this state. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Freeholder: shall mean any person (and in the case of an individual one who is sui juris and is not under a legal disability) owning a "freehold interest in real property". See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governing body: shall mean the mayor and council together, the council, the board of directors, the commission, or other board or body of any municipality, by whatever name called, as the case may be, charged with the responsibility of enacting ordinances and determining the public policy of such municipality. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Individual: includes , but is not limited to, the estate of an incompetent or deceased individual. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. ^{Source: OCC}
• Judgment: includes decrees and orders for the payment of money, or the conveyance or delivery of land or personal property, or some interest therein, or any undertaking, bond or recognizance which has the legal effect of a judgment. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Mayor: shall mean the individual called mayor unless as to a particular municipality a commissioner (in a commission form of government) or the city manager (in a manager form of government) is designated or constituted by charter provision as the principal or chief executive officer or chief administrator thereof, in which event the term "mayor" shall mean as to such municipality such commissioner or city manager unless as to any particular power, authority, duty or function specified in this chapter to be exercised, discharged or fulfilled by the mayor it is provided by charter provision or ordinance that such particular power, authority, duty, or function shall be exercised, discharged, or fulfilled by the individual called mayor and not by a commissioner or city manager, in which event such particular power, authority, duty, or function shall in fact be exercised, discharged, or fulfilled in and for such municipality by the individual called mayor: Provided, That in the exercise and discharge of the ex officio justice of the peace, conservator of the peace, and mayor's court functions specified in this chapter, the term "mayor" shall always mean the individual called mayor. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Member: means a person having membership rights in a corporation in accordance with the provisions of its certificate of incorporation or bylaws. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Ordinance: shall mean the ordinances and laws enacted by the governing body of a municipality in the exercise of its legislative power, and in one or more articles of this chapter, ordinances enacted by a county commission. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Outlays: Outlays are payments made (generally through the issuance of checks or disbursement of cash) to liquidate obligations. Outlays during a fiscal year may be for payment of obligations incurred in prior years or in the same year.
• Participating government: means any municipality or county establishing or participating in an urban mass transportation authority. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: shall mean any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint-stock association, or any other entity or organization of whatever character or description. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Person: includes , but is not limited to, an individual and an entity. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Person: includes , but is not limited to, an individual and an entity. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: includes goods, chattels, real and personal, money, credits, investments, and the evidences thereof. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Principal office: means the office so designated in the return required pursuant to section three, article twelve-c, chapter . See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Proceeding: includes , but is not limited to, civil suits and criminal, administrative and investigatory actions. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Project: means any undertaking of an authority. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, all rights thereto and interests therein, except chattel interests. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Record date: means the date established under article six or seven of this chapter on which a corporation determines the identity of its members and their interests. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Registered agent: means the agent identified by the corporation pursuant to section five hundred one, article five of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Registered office: means the address of the registered agent for the corporation, as provided in section five hundred one, article five of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Resident: shall mean any individual who maintains a usual and bona fide place of abode within the corporate limits of a municipality or within the boundaries of a territory referred to in this chapter, as the case may be. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Revenues: means the gross receipts derived directly or indirectly from or in connection with the operation by an authority of any urban mass transportation system or systems and shall include, without limitation, all fees, rates, fares, rentals or other income actually received or receivable by or for the account of an authority from the operation of the system, and any other receipts from whatever source derived. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the board of directors has delegated responsibility under subsection (c), section eight hundred forty, article eight of this chapter for custody of the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors and the meetings of the shareholders and for authenticating records of the corporation. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Secretary: means the corporate officer to whom the board of directors has delegated responsibility under subsection (c), section eight hundred forty, article eight of this chapter for custody of the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors and the meetings of the members and for authenticating records of the corporation. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Service area of the authority: means and includes an area commensurate with the area served by an existing system or systems acquired or to be acquired by an authority, or if there be no existing system, the area shall extend to and include an area to be defined by the authority. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Shareholder: means the person in whose name shares are registered in the records of a corporation or the beneficial owner of shares to the extent of the rights granted by a nominee certificate on file with a corporation. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• Shares: means the units into which the proprietary interests in a corporation are divided. See West Virginia Code 31D-1-150
• signature: includes , but is not limited to, any manual, facsimile, conformed or electronic signature with means to identify a record by a signature, mark or other symbol, with intent to authenticate it. See West Virginia Code 31E-1-150
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• System: means any urban mass transportation system. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Town: includes a city, village or town, and the word "council" any body or board, whether composed of one or more branches, which is authorized to make ordinances for the government of a city, town, or village. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
• Town or village: is a term of art and shall, notwithstanding the provisions of §. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Treasurer: shall mean the treasurer or other municipal officer, by whatever name called, exercising the power and authority commonly exercised by a treasurer. See West Virginia Code 8-1-2
• Trust indenture: means a security instrument entered into by an authority pursuant to which bonds or notes are issued. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Urban area: means any area that includes a municipality or other built-up place which is appropriate for a system to serve commuters or others in the locality taking into consideration the local patterns and trends of growth. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Urban mass transportation system: means any common carrier of passengers for hire which operates equipment over regular routes within the service area of the authority. See West Virginia Code 8-27-3
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.