The editorial below came from the Charleston Gazette's opinion page.

Unify
195,000 city

Hurrah. Both chambers of the Legislature approved Senate Bill 239, to let a simple majority of local voters approve merger between cooperative local governments.

Hurrah. Both chambers of the Legislature approved Senate Bill 239, to let a simple majority of local voters approve merger between cooperative local governments. We hope Gov. Manchin swiftly signs this teamwork measure into law.

As soon as the former 55 percent voter approval requirement is gone, we hope Charleston and Kanawha County plunge boldly into their much-discussed plan to unite, creating a far-flung capital city of perhaps 195,000 population.

Such a merger would prevent Charleston from slipping below 50,000 in next year's census - a dismal prospect that would leave West Virginia with no Class I cities above 50,000. Huntington is doomed to drop to Class II, and no other Mountain State city comes close to 50,000.

Expanding Charleston to countywide size is a win-win idea. It wouldn't affect Kanawha's other 14 municipalities, which would retain their current identities and individual governments. But all jurisdictions might save taxpayer money by streamlining and merging some local services.

The need to unite is spurred by relentless population loss that has afflicted the mid-Kanawha Valley during the past four decades. In the 1960 census, Charleston had 86,000 people, and Kanawha County had 253,000. Next year, the current Charleston seems certain to slide below 50,000, and the whole county will drop below 200,000.

Quadrupling the capital's size would boost this locale's standing in America's commerce. Matt Ballard, president of the Charleston Area Alliance, told a legislative hearing that reducing the voter approval threshold to 50 percent would improve chances for Kanawha-Charleston unification, which would improve chances to attract new business and industry. "This bill is about economic development," Ballard said.

As introduced, the bill aimed just at Kanawha, because it applied only to counties above 150,000 population.

Local residents owe gratitude to state Sen. Brooks McCabe, D-Kanawha, who championed streamlining local government - and to Kanawha Commission President Kent Carper, who pushes for unity - and to Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, who urged cutting the voter approval rate to 50 percent - and to many other local leaders backing teamwork.

SB239 was the first measure passed by the Senate, on March 2, with the support of all four Kanawha senators. In Thursday's House approval, Kanawha's three Republican delegates voted no, while all Democrats voted yes, except for Bonnie Brown, who was absent.

Now that the vote threshold has been eased, it's time to move rapidly to create a state capital of nearly 200,000.