Both Mayor Danny Jones and Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper advised a Charleston City Council special committee Wednesday night to abandon the push for a centralized city-county government.

"The original concept that some people had doesn't look like it has the support of either the business community, the city of Charleston will speak for itself, but  I don't see it out in the county. I just don't see the electorate really supporting it at this time," says Commissioner Carper.

The original model was styled after Louisville, Kentucky. The idea was to establish a metro city council with a mayor to take the place of Charleston's City Council and the Kanawha County Commission. All other municipalities would have remained intact. However, it seems that many throughout the county didn't approve of dissolving the commission.

"One thing I take away from it is that doesn't seem to be a popular idea," Carper said after the meeting Wednesday. "I've had a lot of people say they like the existing county government. Obviously, some of the people you heard today like it because they want to keep it."

Carper cites South Charleston as one example of why some people aren’t willing to sign onto the concept. He says there’s really no incentive for them to join.

"They're really a well run city with excellent services. What's wrong with a community having pride?" Carper explains. "Perhaps, maybe, we are a victim of our success. If South Charleston didn't have that record, if we didn't have some of those things going for us, pride, perhaps some people would be more interested in merging."

Another factor that has worked against metro government is the recession. The county has been forced to tighten its budget in recent months.  It was also thought the state could subsidize more of the consolidation process. Since the West Virginia government has announced a shortfall of $100 million in state revenues, that idea has been completely thrown out the window.

"I really thought that with the economic problems we've had that would be a catalyst for this. If anything, that has made it worse," Carper says.

Although the original concept of a Louisville style of government has met its demise, the county and city intend to continue to examine how the two can continue to consolidate services.  County and city cooperation has had success in the past with entities like Metro 911, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, and the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority, and leaders are hoping that can continue.