WORTHINGTON — The former mayor of Worthington has filed separate petitions that could lead to the dissolution of the town and prompt state oversight of its financially troubled sanitary sewer system.
Debbie Heflin submitted a petition to the Marion County Commission requesting that Worthington be dissolved. She also filed a petition asking the West Virginia Public Service Commission to consider intervention in the town’s sewer utility.
According to Heflin, only eight legal votes were cast in Worthington’s 2025 municipal election. Under West Virginia law, municipalities that fail to meet the required minimum of 20 votes may forfeit their charter, allowing the state auditor to appoint a special receiver to review the town’s finances.
Worthington’s sewer system has been under scrutiny by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection since the agency placed the town under a consent order following documented violations of its wastewater permit. Between August 2025 and May 2026, the town submitted seven versions of a corrective action plan, but compliance issues continued.
A DEP inspection of six months of operational records found 10 effluent-limit violations during the only month in which wastewater samples were collected. Despite the ongoing violations, the town’s most recent corrective action plan states it has the financial capacity to bring the system into compliance.
The Worthington sanitary sewer system provides service to customers in the Greater Marion Public Service District and portions of the Greater Harrison Public Service District. State law requires the Public Service Commission to regulate sewer systems serving 25 or more people, and only the commission has the authority to approve abandonment of service.
Heflin said she attempted to place the issue before the PSC during Town Council meetings in May and June, but no action was taken because meetings were canceled or lacked a quorum. After resigning as mayor in July, she filed the PSC petition as a customer of the utility.
The dual filings could result in separate state agencies reviewing different aspects of the town’s future, with the state auditor overseeing municipal finances if the charter is forfeited while the PSC determines the future of the sewer system.
Replacing Worthington’s aging sewer infrastructure has been estimated to cost between $20 million and $30 million. The state’s distressed utility assistance program, established in 2020, is funded through the Distressed Utilities Account, which is capped by law at $5 million. The disparity has raised broader questions about how communities with aging infrastructure can finance major utility improvements.
