SALISBURY — As the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office looked to move on from its current provider, the county commissioners on Monday gave a Virginia-based company its first medical contract at a North Carolina jail.

The company —Richmond, Virginia-based Mediko — would charge a first-year price of $727,895 for medical services at the Rowan County Detention Center. The price would increase based on inflation, said founder and CEO Dr. Kaveh Ofogh, who attended Monday’s meeting.

“It’s just one of those things we have to do, and we don’t have a choice,” said County Manager Aaron Church. “We’re required to provide all medical care for each and every inmate in the jail.”

And while the price represents a steep increase from what the county currently pays for health services at the jail — $490,000 per year — jail administrator Capt. Gregory Hannold said he was unhappy with the current provider, Southern Health Partners. Ofogh said the jail would also get a good value for the price.

Ofogh said that price would provide a steep increase in the total number of hours medical staff are on site. A doctor would be on site for four hours per week. A nurse practitioner would be on site for eight hours. Licensed nursing staff would be on site 24 hours a day and seven days a week, he said.

That’s compared to the current arrangement, where there are substantial gaps in nursing staff coverage. If an inmate is injured late at night, he or she may need to wait until nurses come in for the morning shift to be evaluated, Hannold said.

And more services provided inside the jail results in fewer trips to the hospital, decreasing medical expenses and staff time required for transport, said Ofogh and County Attorney Jay Dees.

There was some question Monday about whether the jail would also pay for mental health services as part of the contract, but Hannold said that an existing, $1,700-per-month contract suits the jail’s needs and is less expensive than prices offered by Mediko or others than submitted bids for mental health services.

The commissioners approved the contract unanimously. It’s set to start at the beginning of the new fiscal year, July 1.

Ofogh said it is exciting to have his first contract in North Carolina. Started in Virginia in 1996, the company is owner-operated. Ofogh bragged that he does not have to answer to shareholders and has expanded organically rather than acquiring existing companies.

In other business:

• Commissioners approved an incentive agreement for an unnamed local employer that’s looking at expanding as part of a so-called “Project Special.”

The employer, which has an international presence and currently employs a large number of people in Rowan County, is proposing to add 35 jobs by the end of 2020 with an average annual salary of more than $41,000. In addition to Rowan, the company is considering sites in Texas and Europe.

The tax incentives agreement approved Monday would rebate 75 percent of taxes on the expansion over five years. During those five years, Rowan County would collect $516,750 in new tax revenue and provide tax rebates totaling $387,563, leaving county government with $129,187 of new revenue.

• Commissioners approved three people for the county Board of Equalization and Review, which will hear tax revaluation appeals.

Every four years, the county re-evaluates property, which can result in increases or decreases in tax bills. This year, there’s projected to be an average 7 percent increase across the county, according to the Rowan County Tax Assessor’s Offic, which says the number of appeals so far is low.

Appointed to the Board of Equalization and Review on Monday were David Roueche, Jerry Spry and Walter Wall.

• Commissioners approved spending no more than $208,000 to replace a chiller at the Rowan Public Library headquarters branch.

• Commissioners approved a task order with McGill Associates at a cost not to exceed $8,000 to study the best site for a solid waste and recycling convenience center in southern Rowan County.

• Commissioners approved a proclamation for May to be Shield-a-Badge With Prayer Awareness Month.

• Commissioners approved a proclamation for Law Enforcement Week, May 12-18.

• Commissioners received the annual report of the Rowan County Community Child Protection Team, which aims to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect.