CHINA GROVE — With the budget season quickly approaching, China Grove has scheduled a work session for later this month to discuss the town’s upcoming budgetary needs.

During its regularly-scheduled meeting Tuesday night at town hall, the town council approved March 29 as the date for the work session, which will begin at 4 p.m. Department heads and other town officials will make their case for budget items at the meeting. 

Finance director interviews 

With any luck, China Grove will soon have an answer to the full-time finance director it has been seeking. 

Town Manager Ken Deal indicated that they would be interviewing candidates for the position Wednesday. 

Shue Road apartments

Signature Property Group’s request that the town annex approximately 16 acres of land on Shue Road was approved, paving the way for a multi-family home development.

During the Tuesday meeting, the council held a public comment period for citizens to voice any concerns they may have had over the property’s annexation, but no one came forward.

Financial audit results

A financial audit conducted by the accounting firm, Huneycutt, Parsley & Taylor, returned positive numbers for China Grove. 

William Huneycutt, a firm partner, presented highlights from the report to the council members. 

Those highlights included China Grove’s net General Fund balance increasing by $262,455, primarily due to the sales and use tax revenue increasing by $203,841 from the previous fiscal year.

The town’s total debt decreased by $372,078 during the current fiscal year due to debt payments made during the year.

Lastly, the unassigned fund balance for the town’s general fund was $2,403,992, representing 58.6 percent of the total general fund for the fiscal year. Huneycutt mentioned many municipalities’ percentages in the same category often run in the single digits, putting China Grove in an excellent fiscal position.