West Virginia Code
Article 12. General and Specific Powers, Duties and Allied Relations of Municipalities, Governing Bodies and Municipal Officers and Employees; Suits Against Municipalities
§8-12-1. General Corporate Powers of All Municipalities

§8-12-1. General corporate powers of all municipalities.
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, every municipality shall have plenary power and authority:
(1) To have and use a common seal;
(2) To contract and be contracted with;
(3) To institute, maintain and defend any civil action or other proceeding in any court;
(4) To take, purchase, hold and lease as lessee (on an annual fiscal year basis where tax revenues are to be used to make the rental payments required under any such lease, with or without an option to renew such lease each year for another such period), for any municipal purpose, real or personal property within or without the corporate limits of the municipality, and to acquire by condemnation real or personal property within or without the corporate limits of the municipality for the purposes set forth in and in accordance with the provisions of chapter fifty-four of this code, subject, however, to any limitations or qualifications set forth in this chapter eight; and
(5) To take by gift, donation, grant, bequest or devise and to hold and administer, real or personal property within or without the corporate limits of the municipality, absolutely, in trust or otherwise, for any public, charitable or municipal purpose, and to do all things necessary, useful, convenient or incidental to carry out the purpose of such gift, donation, grant, bequest, devise or trust, and to manage, sell, lease or otherwise dispose of the same in accordance with such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the donor, grantor or testator and accepted by the municipality.

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