West Rowan News, Events, and Fun

 The Cleveland, NC tax rate did increase as discussed in the earlier special called budget meeting . City/town taxes will now be at at $.30 per $100 valuation (and the county is currently looking at properties for increasing valuations).Water and sewer both increase as per the workshop meeting. Water/sewer rates must be set at rates that cover costs per law.  Tonight was a public hearing, but no one signed up to speak about any concerns or to offer opposing views on increases to rates.  Some fees in town were also increased.  Water tap on fees go from $850 to $900 or from $1300 to $1400 for larger 3/4 inch taps. Sewer tap goes from $1100 to $1200.  Cemetery plots go up $200 each for non-residents but remain the same for residents. Commissioner Travis Summitt said that residents pay for the cemetery upkeep with taxes, so he did not want cemetery fees to increase for those paying.  Current rates are $1200 for one plot and $1700 for two for residents. Non-resi...

  Cleveland, NC town board met tonight 3-14-2022 with things more like our old "normal." Commissioners were back at their desk, citizens were in rows with no spacing, and no one wore masks after many, long months of Covid precautions.  The town welcomed new hire Financial Officer Rebekah Brown who started at the last meeting as an observer. She joins Kelly Rodgers at Town Hall. Brown grew up in the area as did Rodgers. In other employee business, John Ritchie's contract was extended at full-time through June 30 due to medical concerns in the wastewater treatment department. After June, he will shift to part-time status per the last town board meeting.  The town voted for a new contractor for chemicals at the wastewater plant. The change results in a savings of $5237 per year per Commissioner Gerald Osborne who said that commissioners should be looking at annual cost savings in all areas.  The mowing contract for the town was approved for this year. The town voted to ...

Tonight 10-11-2021 was the monthly town board meeting in Cleveland, NC. A number of topics were covered, but most were ongoing business or items requiring follow up.  Two items on the agenda will require public hearings, and those will be combined with the next town board meeting in Nov which will be at 6 pm. Town board members voted to move meetings from November 2021 through March 2022 from 7:30 back to 6:00, because it is getting dark sooner now and Standard Time will go back into effect next month.  Items to go up for a public hearing: 1. Zoning text amendment so Leo White (our local barber) can use the second floor of the barber shop as a single family dwelling/apartment.  2.  Amendment to current zoning pertaining to electronic message boards so that the town's new message boards will meet zoning.  A discussion of an electronic message board for the town of Cleveland centered on an estimate in hand that was over the limit for brightness. More estimates wil...

Town Board in Cleveland, NC June 14, 2021 involved confirming no tax increase this year as well as some increases in town fees. Other items of business mostly involved changes coming during or expected for the upcoming fiscal year which starts next month.  Water and sewer rates go up by 5% each as outlined in the earlier special town board budget meeting. Also, cemetery prices will go up. The town is now hiring mowing at the cemetery, so the costs are higher to keep the cemetery up. Also, Mayor Pat Phifer said, "We're still half price of anybody else." He joked that someone could "buy four plots and put up a house." All voted to increase fees.  Increased fees for the park include for non-residents: half day shelter rental goes from $30 to $50 for nonresidents full day shelter rental goes from $50 to $75 nonresidents And park related fees: security deposit from $30 to $40 line the ball field from $30 to $40 Cleveland to Welcome Two New Police Officers After a clo...

    Commissioner Gerald Osborne said he was not in favor of a tax increase for Cleveland, "not in any way, shape, or form." He said that the past year had been rough on residents and that many were living on tight or fixed incomes.  The town has accumulated $743,680 between 2009 and 2020, and Osborne said that he thought the town should tap into that rainy day fund. With the spending approved by the town board, the shortfall on the budget would be about $156,000.  All board members ultimately agreed to keep taxes at the current rate of 28 cents.  Some expenditures for the year were not on the table for discussion. Residents need water/sewer, and those are self funding. In other words, the charges cover the costs. With some big ticket costs coming up, the rate for water and for sewer will go up each by 5 percent this year.  Town Clerk Cathy Payne said that looking at a typical family and considering usage of 4000 gallons for a month for each service that the...

Cleveland, NC town board had a special called meeting tonight Tuesday May 18, 2021. The purpose of the meeting was to hammer out budget details for the upcoming year.  Residents of Cleveland should expect to see a 5.5% tax increase and 5% increases in water and 5% increases in sewer when the final budget is passed.  For property, the rate goes from 28 cents to 33.5 cents. Mayor Pat Phifer said that the average property in town was probably valued at around $150,000 so that taxes of $35 a month would increase to $41 month. Under that scenario, yearly taxes would increase for the average individual by $72/year. Town clerk Cathy Payne said that the typical water user would see the water bill increase $1.48 month and that the last water rate increase was in 2015. Water and Sewer in Cleveland Commissioner Gerald Osborne discussed the town's need to address water/sewer issues. The infrastructure is aging, and the town is at the point where a new water tower will be needed soon. An e...