Taylor 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 Taylor County: 11 seats on 8 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

County Commission

Taylor County Commission

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerOrville Wright Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, Tygart DistrictTony Veltri Republican source
County CommissionerSam Gerkin Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
AssessorChrista Kinsey Republican source
Circuit ClerkVonda Reneman Republican source
County ClerkJaron Freeman Republican source
Prosecuting AttorneyJohn Bord Republican source
SheriffRandy Durrett Republican source
County SurveyorTimothy Brake Republican source

School Board

Taylor County Board of Education

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it now
Board of Education MemberMelissa Knotts source
Board of Education MemberJohn Taylor source

How many local governments Taylor County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Taylor 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 townships20
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)40

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 Taylor County

16,487people
43.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$57,795 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
13.9%below the U.S.: 12.5%
20.5%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$148,800median home valueU.S.: $332,700
7.5%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.4%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
7.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.1%U.S.: 8.4%
44.8%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
17.2%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 1% · White 94.9% · Black 0.6% · Asian 0% · Other or more than one race 3.5% (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 Taylor County

3.2%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.0%. West Virginia: 3.5%.
241people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
7,241people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
7,482in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Taylor County 0.0%2.0%4.1%6.1%8.2% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.2%2417,2417,482
August 20263.9%2917,1357,426
July 20264.0%2997,1797,478
June 20264.1%3107,1727,482
May 20263.2%2377,2327,469
April 20263.8%2807,1497,429
March 20264.1%3007,0747,374
February 20265.3%3997,0967,495
January 20264.8%3577,0407,397
December 20254.2%3127,0987,410
November 20254.4%3347,1887,522
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20254.0%3017,2627,563
August 20254.6%3437,1217,464
July 20254.2%3187,1867,504
June 20254.2%3187,2637,581
May 20253.3%2487,2197,467
April 20253.5%2657,2087,473
March 20254.0%3007,1097,409
February 20254.3%3187,0697,387
January 20254.5%3327,0067,338
December 20243.5%2526,9117,163
November 20243.1%2297,0657,294
October 20243.1%2307,2337,463
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)4.1%3087,1577,465
20244.0%2987,1777,475
20233.9%2927,1577,449
20224.1%3037,0747,377
20215.1%3666,8667,232
20207.8%5636,6527,215
20195.2%3857,0327,417
20185.0%3727,0207,392
20175.2%3836,9887,371
20165.9%4407,0227,462

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 Taylor County

Police staffing

1.34 per 1,000 residents2025, 2 agencies serving 16,384 people.
22sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
3civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (2), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Taylor County Sheriff's Office12211,842
Grafton Police Department1014,542
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025221.3432
2024171.0412
2023150.9312
2022160.9872
2021171.0292
2020171.0292
2019140.8372
2018130.7772
2017140.8472
2016140.8382

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 Taylor County Assessor?
Christa Kinsey (Republican) is the Assessor of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who is the Taylor County Circuit Clerk?
Vonda Reneman (Republican) is the Circuit Clerk of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who is the Taylor County County Clerk?
Jaron Freeman (Republican) is the County Clerk of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who is the Taylor County Prosecuting Attorney?
John Bord (Republican) is the Prosecuting Attorney of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who is the Taylor County Sheriff?
Randy Durrett (Republican) is the Sheriff of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who is the Taylor County County Surveyor?
Timothy Brake (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Taylor County, West Virginia.
Who are the Taylor County commissioners?
Orville Wright (County Commissioner); Tony Veltri (Tygart District); Sam Gerkin (County Commissioner).
Who is on the Taylor County School Board?
Melissa Knotts (Board of Education Member); John Taylor (Board of Education Member).
What is the population of Taylor County?
About 16,487 people, with a median age of 43.7; the median household income is $57,795 and 13.9% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Taylor County?
3.2% in September 2026 (preliminary): 241 people unemployed in a labor force of 7,482, against 4.0% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Taylor County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 4 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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