CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Charleston City Council on Tuesday approved funding for an incentive program aimed at encouraging city employees to get vaccinated for the coronavirus.
Eligible employees will get either a $750 cash payment or a contribution of an equal amount to their health savings account.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin originally proposed $500 for vaccinated employees, but the city council agreed to an amended proposal. The cost for the program increased from $450,000 to $681,833 following the change.
“The State of West Virginia is heading in the wrong direction as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket,” she said in the statement. “I applaud Council’s approval of this vaccine incentive program and urge all City employees to get the shot.”
Funding for the program will come from federal coronavirus relief money.
“Vaccine incentives are permitted guidelines, the same way the governor had his million-dollar drawing for people who may have been vaccinated six months before,” City Attorney Kevin Baker told councilmembers. “Those are the same kind of things that were already in play there.”
Employees have until Oct. 31 to get vaccinated and submit their vaccination cards to the city’s Human Resources Department. Elected officials do not qualify for the program.