Boone County, WV elected officials: the county commission, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Boone County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Boone County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerJacob Messer Democratic sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerJeff Petry Republican source
County CommissionerBrett Kuhn Democratic source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorScotty Cook Democratic source
Circuit ClerkSam Burns Democratic source
County ClerkRoger Toney Democratic source
Prosecuting AttorneyDaniel Holstein Republican source
SheriffChad Barker Democratic source
County SurveyorLantz Rankin Democratic source

How many local governments Boone County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 9 local governments in Boone County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships40
School districts (school boards)10
Special districts (elected boards)30

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Boone County

21,026people
45.3median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,093 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16.2%below the U.S.: 12.5%
11.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$93,100median home valueU.S.: $332,700
8.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.5%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
6.7%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
4.6%U.S.: 8.4%
49.6%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
19.9%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.7% · White 97.1% · Black 0.4% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 1.7% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Boone County

4.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.2%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
286people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
6,765people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,051in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Boone County 0.0%2.7%5.3%8.0%10.6% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)4.1%2866,7657,051
August 20264.8%3386,7577,095
July 20264.9%3486,7977,145
June 20265.5%3996,8027,201
May 20264.5%3206,7467,066
April 20265.1%3646,7327,096
March 20265.1%3616,6547,015
February 20266.3%4456,6607,105
January 20265.5%3896,6387,027
December 20255.4%3816,6987,079
November 20255.5%3936,7447,137
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.2%3736,8137,186
August 20255.7%4106,8197,229
July 20255.2%3756,8857,260
June 20255.5%4056,9307,335
May 20254.8%3446,8277,171
April 20254.6%3296,8387,167
March 20255.1%3666,7727,138
February 20255.2%3746,7587,132
January 20255.0%3556,7657,120
December 20243.8%2676,7787,045
November 20244.0%2886,8367,124
October 20244.0%2886,9337,221
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.2%3736,8047,177
20244.6%3336,9617,294
20234.1%3007,0637,363
20224.4%3197,0017,320
20216.0%4396,9397,378
202010.1%7666,8087,574
20195.4%4087,1687,576
20185.9%4537,2847,737
20176.3%4917,3297,820
20169.1%7317,3028,033

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. West Virginia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.0% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Police in Boone County

Police staffing

1.19 per 1,000 residents2025, 5 agencies serving 20,207 people.
24sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
3civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (5), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Boone County Sheriff's Office18316,419
Madison Police Department402,676
Danville Police Department10628
Sylvester Police Department10148
Whitesville Police Department00336
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025241.1935
2024221.0825
2020301.4235
2019311.4445
2018341.5575
2017331.4785
2016341.4855

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Boone County Assessor?
Scotty Cook (Democratic) is the Assessor of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who is the Boone County Circuit Clerk?
Sam Burns (Democratic) is the Circuit Clerk of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who is the Boone County County Clerk?
Roger Toney (Democratic) is the County Clerk of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who is the Boone County Prosecuting Attorney?
Daniel Holstein (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who is the Boone County Sheriff?
Chad Barker (Democratic) is the Sheriff of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who is the Boone County County Surveyor?
Lantz Rankin (Democratic) is the County Surveyor of Boone County, West Virginia.
Who are the Boone County commissioners?
Jacob Messer (County Commissioner); Jeff Petry (County Commissioner); Brett Kuhn (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Boone County?
About 21,026 people, with a median age of 45.3; the median household income is $57,093 and 16.2% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Boone County?
4.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 286 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,051, against 5.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Boone County?
9 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 4 municipal, 1 school district and 3 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the West Virginia Secretary of State's County Elected Official Directory (2025) and the official results of the 2020, 2022 and 2024 elections (for terms and party); officials appointed or changed since the directory was updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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