The Rockwell Rural, Pooletown and East Gold Hill fire departments have set public hearings for the coming weeks to receive comments on proposed tax increases in their service districts.

Rockwell Rural officials have proposed the largest increase, with a proposed increase of three-and-a-half cents, from $0.0995 to $0.13. The department has scheduled the public hearing for Tuesday at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Link station, located at 320 Link St., Rockwell.

The proposed increase comes one year after Rockwell Rural increased the tax rate in its service district from $0.09 to $0.0995.

Both the Pooletown and East Gold Hill fire departments are located in the same district, the East Rowan Service District. The departments have proposed a tax increase of two cents, from $0.07 to $0.09. The public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Pooletown Fire Department’s Reeves Island station, located at 2000 Reeves Island Road, Richfield.

The proposed change comes one year after the county moved to add a 1,200-acre strip of land to the East Rowan Service District, removing the land from the Stanly County-based Richfield Fire Department. The change was made in order to boost the Rowan County departments’ tax bases but did not raise affected property-owners’ tax bills as the two districts had the same rate.

After the public hearings are held by each of the fire departments, the respective districts’ fire commissioners will vote on whether or not the tax increase should be recommended to the county. If the recommendation is approved, the property tax increase would go to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, who would have the final say on implementation.