Rowan County Commissioners on Monday designated money to build an Emergency Medical Services station in Rockwell.

Utilizing a resolution passed during their previous meeting, commissioners voted to designate $500,000 to build an EMS station on the corner of East Main Street and North Trexler Avenue in Rockwell. The $500,000 will come from a quarter-cent sales tax that was originally levied to pay for a jail annex, emergency radio upgrades and communications antennae. During commissioners’ May 4 meeting, a resolution passed to also use the quarter cent sales tax for any public safety capital needs.

The only significant discussion about the EMS station among commissioners related to funding.

When asked, Finance Director Leslie Heidrick said $500,000 of the quarter cent sales tax, for the current and upcoming fiscal year, wouldn’t be used to pay off debt on the satellite jail. County Commissioner Craig Pierce subsequently motioned to use the leftover money as a funding mechanism for the new EMS station. County Manager Aaron Church said the estimated cost of the new EMS station would be $400,000 to $450,000.

Pierce’s motion was approved by a 4-0 count. County Commissioners Chairman Greg Edds was absent from Monday’s meeting.

Rowan County is currently in the process of securing a tract of land in east Rockwell for the EMS site.

During Monday’s meeting, Emergency Services Chief Frank Thomason spoke about the need for an EMS station in Rockwell.

Thomason said building a Rockwell station wouldn’t duplicate any services. The closest station, he said, is located about 8 miles away. The next closest EMS station is the headquarters on Old Concord Road. The EMS headquarters building is 10 to 12 miles away from Rockwell, Thomason said. Building a Rockwell EMS station would significantly reduce response times, he said.

Commissioner Mike Caskey also spoke briefly about the likely reduction in response times by adding a Rockwell station. Caskey said EMS struggles to meet a goal of a 12-minute response time in the Rockwell area.

Rowan County currently has eight EMS stations, Caskey said. Based on the number of calls, Caskey said Rowan County should have 12 stations. Based on population, he said Rowan should have 14 stations.

After his motion was approved, Pierce said the next EMS station would be in Cleveland.

In other business from Monday’s meeting:

• Commissioners received a copy of the fiscal year 2015-2016 budget, set a date for a work session related to the budget and a public hearing.

The work session will be at 9 a.m. on May 28 in Rowan County’s administration building on West Innes Street. The public hearing will be on June 1 at 5:30.

The public hearing will be after commissioners’ regularly scheduled meeting on June 1, which begins at 3 p.m.

During Monday’s meeting, commissioners didn’t discuss details of the budget.

The budget’s executive summary proposed a tax rate increase of 1.25 cents. Church stressed that the 1.25 cents is a revenue neutral rate, which means an average Rowan County resident who pays property taxes would pay the same amount each year. Some may pay more or less, depending on revaluation, which occurred this year.

• Commissioners heard a presentation about the progress of Gildan Yarns as part of a public hearing.

As part of Gildan’s construction on its Heilig Road facility, the county received a $750,000 grant, which paid for renovations of the company’s 397,000-square-foot facility.

A notice for the public hearing states 170 new jobs were created as a result of the project.

• Commissioners set a public hearing for June 1 to rezone multiple parcels of land located at 2604 Heilig Road to commercial, business and industrial from rural residential.

The rezoning passed the Rowan County Planning Board in April without opposition.

• Commissioners set a public hearing for a piece of the intersection of N.C. 152 and Castor Road to be rezoned from rural agricultural to neighborhood business.

The rezoning also passed the Rowan County Planning Board in April without opposition.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.