ROCKWELL — The Rockwell Board of Aldermen will hold a public hearing during December’s meeting to discuss changing the name of Poole Street to Mayor Taylor Street in honor of retiring Mayor Beau Taylor.

The board voted during their meeting on Monday to hold the public hearing during the last board meeting of 2023, which will also be Taylor’s last meeting as mayor. Town Clerk Marlene Dunn said that they wanted to hold the public hearing after future mayor Chuck Bowman is sworn in, so that Taylor does not have to sign the proclamation naming a street after himself.

“What our point in trying do this is, we could do it, but we’d hate to have Beau sign for a street in his own name. So when Chuck is sworn in, we can conduct the public hearing as new business and that way we could have him sign it instead,” said Dunn.

After approving the public hearing, a few of the aldermen had jokes and early congratulations for Taylor.

“Just make sure to maintain your street, keep it clean,” joked Alderman Dillon Brewer.

Poole Street runs between North Cherry Street and Market Street, just behind the God’s Tabernacle for Believers church.

Taylor has served as mayor of the town since first being elected to the office in 2003. He also served a term as mayor pro tem in 2001 to 2002. Before that, he worked with Food Lion for close to 30 years, including as a manager of the Rockwell location.

Bowman will be taking over for Taylor beginning in January. At the end of the December meeting, Bowman and two new aldermen, Jay Stake and Fred West, will be sworn in and take their place among the town’s board of aldermen alongside Brewer, Stephenie Walker and Chris Cranford.

The vote to hold the public hearing was unanimous.