By Andie Foley
andie.foley@salisburypost.com

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners will meet throughout the day on Monday with hopes to finalize the fiscal year 2018-19 budget.

The budget will run from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. It must be finalized by July 1.

All told, the recommended budget is $151.8 million, a $2.6 million or 1.8 percent increase year over year.

The increase will not require an increase in property tax rates.

Monday’s process will begin at 1 p.m. with a budget work session held in the commissioners’ chambers on the second floor of the Rowan County Administration Building.

From there, commissioners will break for June’s first regularly scheduled board meeting at 3 p.m.

Commissioners will reconvene at 6 p.m. for a public hearing regarding the proposed budget.

Citizens are invited to speak during the hearing. Each comment should be limited to three minutes and be restricted to the subject of the hearing.

Speakers are asked to address the board in a civil and courteous manner.

In other business from the 3 p.m. agenda:

• Commissioners will hear a presentation from Holly Wallace, a 4-H student who has been chosen to participate in the Youth Voice Summit this August.
• Commissioners will hold a quasi-judicial hearing for a conditional use permit requested by Steve and Vicki Southerland.

The Southerlands are seeking a permit to construct a 1,200-square-foot residential storage facility on lot 6 of Bay Ridge Estates.

The facility will hold personal items and equipment while their house is constructed on the same property.

• Commissioners will discuss a task order for McGill Associates regarding the relocation of the Julian Road recycling center.

Commissioner Craig Pierce requested the discussion, saying that the site’s location has the potential to cost the county unnecessary dollars.

He said the county purchased the former site of a sign shop along Julian Road nearly a year ago for the purpose of the relocation.

The purchase was paid for with enterprise funds, but the county is now exploring relocating the recycling center further away from road, parallel to the new James River Co. building.

He said constructing the center here would require the county to reimburse the enterprise funds with money from the county’s fund balance.

“It’s time we just laid all the cards on table before we make decision that could cost taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars,” said Pierce.

• Commissioners could vote to cancel their second July meeting, scheduled for July 16.
• Commissioners could appoint 11 people to seven local boards.

Boards include the Centralina Workforce Development Board, the Dangerous Dog Appeals Board, Historic Landmarks, the Home and Community Care Block Grant Advisory Committee, the Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Finance Authority, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Board of Trustees.