[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6232368,"mediaKeyId","3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31","parentId",3426399,"title","Rowan County approves one-time permit for bull-riding event at Oak Mountain with condition of three deputies after prior 2024 shooting","audioSeconds",578,"startMs",3211000,"endMs",3789000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31&start=3211&end=3789","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31/thumbnail_3211000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232368/Rowan-County/North-Carolina/Rowan-County-approves-one-time-permit-for-bull-riding-event-at-Oak-Mountain-with-condition-of-three-deputies-after-prior-2024-shooting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232368-927a90504264566b6ccae84e4795b771/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178123&Signature=R82e2TgVAsuA7g3xsbVexY~trkwCjZHhQ7VRb~lep69icT5Rysm6Nv~bMeNqFwSTGxWKU-k~hdDiOs8UbcfhBo6PRtFY~kzqxblNvVzYWGdMLTbnbmri100wzE~mDqy-rWF2WFs60yPQU6gc0RuaTyXLVzAkMUKbtxSurtW6FnUhuUwurXtzEhdmTawPIs8b37ZfZnCLsDhvZKxMWD93Q~O7HKPufVpqp3WtjksgL1wEOVlQbZ03OFamci6I1ayskPZ-EIJOt71S~7H2Sy03uJ5ZKv2UdlKyA30xI7aLpP5LOTsLFOceG7ASrq6v4QCABINRL8sdH2FNYTEfs-Ralw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rowan County, NC","date","2025-05-21T17:08:56.837Z","article","Rowan County commissioners approved a permit to exceed (PEO-125) for a bull-riding and live-music event at 585 Oak Mountain Road on May 25, from 3 to 9 p.m., subject to a condition that three Rowan County deputies be on site for security.

Aaron from the Planning Department summarized the application and the permit criteria, saying the applicant had submitted a site plan showing parking, vendors, a stage and a bull-riding arena and that 150 attendees were expected. Aaron told commissioners the property had hosted similar events previously; he said the last permit issued for the site was in 2023 and that, on Sept. 8, 2024, there had been a shooting at an event held without a permit.

The applicant, identified in county records as Francisco Castro, told the board the May 25 event is a family-focused fundraiser for a relative recovering from major surgery. Castro said the organizers will require attendees to park and enter on foot so staff and deputies can screen for weapons, and that they had arranged to hire deputies for on-site security. \"We're gonna be a little more stricter on having security and staffing,\" Castro said, adding the event is intended to benefit family members rather than be a large commercial gathering.

Sheriff's office staff supported granting the permit with deputies present, saying the presence of on-site deputies improves the sheriff's ability to respond to complaints and monitor compliance with permitted hours. The sheriff's representative noted if the event were denied, the organizers would still be subject to the noise ordinance and deputies would respond to complaints, but that permitting with deputies is preferable.

After public comment and discussion the board moved and seconded approval of PEO-125 with the condition that three deputies be present during the event; commissioners approved the motion by voice vote.

Ending

The permit allows the one-time event on May 25 with the specified security requirement; staff noted denial would have left the organizers solely subject to the county noise ordinance but that the permit provides a monitoring arrangement to reduce adverse impacts on adjoining properties.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Commissioners Meeting - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Commissioners approved a permit for a bull-riding and live-music event at 585 Oak Mountain Road on May 25, 3'021 p.m., contingent on three deputy officers being present for security.","taxTitle","Rowan County, North Carolina","taxId",14196,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232373,"Rowan County approves level-1 incentive for Project Pixi, a local employer's $28 million expansion",193,2879000,3072000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31&start=2879&end=3072","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31/thumbnail_2879000.jpg","/articles/6232373/Rowan-County/North-Carolina/Rowan-County-approves-level-1-incentive-for-Project-Pixi-a-local-employers-28-million-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232373-5b3d5cb6994c5d35fe325b6b48fec879/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178123&Signature=lK478pGizoGxIGPXxr4jGVIhvHufHl62T1imW95c2oY3viI2vfIC5pkPnAufn-J66YTjG1xR2fxHVfC5GXOR8DvGoFnteN6GI4HxFkmeE6dWfGYTvaq6UibP-mGzNEU2wFSraX2e3E3reGpb2ULNXM0jMJhqr0i3o3mNVZyhz1Lh~~BUj8Mc-5VlhlVheTmsR~5wLXDiMYL7Ic9257rZ97lc2zn~m7p6eF0PcpFQw9OJ3KBhG~7YiOKBfX-uquqiaTXhFbmjAzOxrZuALmo094Fckf6vyIVsIsNmjKARC~KlwtJj5cU6MvNTIMmna97aTWoMPDZllMdjFloh7L1okQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rowan County commissioners approved a level-1 incentive grant for \"Project Pixi,\" an existing county employer evaluating a greenfield expansion site in Rowan County, following a public hearing on May 19.

Scott, the project presenter, told commissioners the company plans about $28 million in new construction and equipment, intends to add roughly 30 jobs over the next two years and expects to be operational in early 2027. He said the average pay for the new jobs is \"just under $56,000 a year.\" Under the county's incentive policy, a level-1 grant equals 40% of the new taxes the company would pay over a five-year span; staff estimated the total grant at about $314,000.

County staff outlined the fiscal assumptions used in the incentive calculation: a county tax rate of $0.58, $23 million in real-property investment and $5 million in personal property investment, an equipment-depreciation schedule based on 2025 rules and a 10-year span for county revenue projections. Using those assumptions staff estimated the county would collect about $786,000 in new tax revenue during the five incentivized years, leaving a net of roughly $472,000 after the grant. Over a 10-year span staff projected roughly $1.5 million in county receipts and a net of roughly $1.2 million after the incentive.

Scott noted the project would be located inside Salisbury city limits and that the Salisbury City Council would hold its own public hearing the following night on a similar grant.

After the public hearing a commissioner moved to approve the level-1 grant under the county's adopted incentive grant policy. The motion received a second, and the board approved the grant by voice vote.

Ending

Staff said the county's action supports an existing Rowan County employer and that Salisbury would separately consider its own incentive. The board did not specify additional conditions in the recorded discussion.","After a public hearing, the Board approved a level-1 grant under the county's incentive policy for Project Pixi, an existing Rowan County employer proposing a $28 million investment and about 30 new jobs. County staff estimated the five-year incentive at roughly $314,000 against about $786,000 in new county revenue during that span.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232378,"Rowan County manager presents balanced roughly $216 million FY2025-26 budget; tax rate held steady",2860,3900000,6760000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31&start=3900&end=6760","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31/thumbnail_3900000.jpg","/articles/6232378/Rowan-County/North-Carolina/Rowan-County-manager-presents-balanced-roughly-216-million-FY2025-26-budget-tax-rate-held-steady","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232378-e22a85285a3f64b86ea324c2361a4786/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178123&Signature=KUOg~FWSBHRstByh7puqQJOypvQsKcvTXDsSseTZmncF2pg2PO2FXfvty-8UNGnhBMuIFUYIAl8s5pWPihY0fdoEL~pRGevXo0TAQ~yfp~1ozoawRbZ8m4RU2lW23dIaGqDEjDSIwDXFjN~N-jUf8KYB-wE5UhwWLaSo-Of5o663nVMHzxahuog2B7AJOQKFUwqLyRW2DseLISc8ZHCpp3fIv8UWkIkDLAZ8pOhHl8UEx1ogd~-spVEdO25B32QXnwbCSJ9nINglBPv26mQMjTcFXpjNul4bSwo08et3T741aWE8QgZGtSKXj8fFzKdU24CLYViU9Lu5BQFrbWpxEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Manager presented the recommended fiscal year 2025–26 budget to the Rowan County Board of Commissioners on May 19, proposing a roughly $215.98 million general fund budget while keeping the property tax rate at $0.58 per $100 of assessed value.

The manager said the recommended budget uses about $10,604,361 of fund balance to balance the books while projecting a $21.225 billion tax base and a conservative $40 million in sales-tax revenue for the general fund. A public hearing on the budget was set for June 2 at 3 p.m., with a final vote scheduled for June 16, as required before the July 1 fiscal start.

The budget matters because it combines service priorities, one-time capital requests and recurring personnel costs under a projection the manager described as unusually weak. \"This is really bad. This is the absolute worst projection that Rowan County has had in the last 10 years with the exception of COVID,\" the County Manager said, referring to the sales-tax forecast that helps fund operations.

Key facts and figures

- Recommended general fund: approximately $215.98 million, a decrease from the current year.
- Property tax rate: proposed to remain at $0.58 per $100 valuation; collection rate used in projections: 98%.
- Fund balance applied to balance the budget: $10,604,361.
- Projected tax base: $21.225 billion (up about 5.4% from the current year).
- Sales-tax projection for FY26: $40 million (budgeted flat compared with FY24 actuals).
- Employee investment: roughly $4.47 million total (market adjustments, grade progression, longevity and health-insurance increases).

Personnel and pay

The recommended budget includes no net new positions or upgrades; it eliminates 10 currently vacant full-time positions to free about $713,000 to partly fund pay changes. The manager presented a multi-step pay plan for public-safety staff that would take effect July 1 and in part January 1:

- Grade changes for certain positions; when an employee’s grade changes, pay will be raised at least to the new grade minimum (0–5% movement in many cases) with one outlier above that range.
- A $500 grade-progression payment.
- A 4% in-grade progression increase applied after the $500 step.
- An additional 0–3% public-safety adjustment tied to length of service in the current position (0% for under three years; 1% for 3–4 years; 2% for 5–8 years; 3% for 9+ years).
- Longevity changes effective Jan. 1, 2026 (0–2% based on years of service).

The manager said HR will provide worksheets showing the exact changes for affected employees if the budget is adopted.

Capital, vehicles and service impacts

The county received requests for 99 new or replacement vehicles, totaling about $7.2 million including upfits; the recommended budget defers many of those purchases and funds fewer vehicles (including a remount for an ambulance that staff said cannot be deferred further). The manager warned that ongoing services and vehicle needs may require future tax increases or staffing reductions if revenue remains weak.

Fire districts and volunteer fire services

Separately, fire district budgets submitted by individual districts would produce a combined estimated increase across all districts of roughly 17%. The manager described a broader pressure on volunteer fire departments caused by rising vehicle and equipment costs, long manufacturer lead times, tighter turnout-gear rules and declining volunteer pools. He said municipalities, the county and fire departments are discussing ways to distribute the costs of growth and service equitably.

Schools and other funds

The recommended budget contains a 3.5% increase in the county's per-pupil funding formula; projected student counts (average daily membership) differ across Rowan-Salisbury Schools, Kannapolis City Schools and charter schools, which affects distribution. Other non-general funds (airport, landfill, risk management, ARPA and others) were presented with their proposed changes.

Next steps and public process

The board scheduled a public hearing on the recommended budget for June 2 at 3 p.m. in the commission chambers and plans to consider final adoption on June 16. The County Manager repeatedly emphasized conservative revenue assumptions and said the board would monitor sales taxes and other receipts before making final choices.

Ending

Commissioners and staff said they will continue outreach and review before the public hearing; the manager encouraged residents to attend and noted the county will provide more detailed employee worksheets if the board approves the overall plan.","County Manager presented a recommended $215.98 million budget that holds the property tax rate at $0.58, uses $10.6 million of fund balance, delays some vehicle purchases, eliminates vacant positions and phases in layered pay adjustments for public-safety staff. Commissioners set a public hearing for June 2 and plan a final vote June 16.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232363,"Advocates urge Rowan County to fund youth action agency using Communities That Care model",244,266000,510000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31&start=266&end=510","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3426399-4853f4783636e7d18b1129c413aebe31/thumbnail_266000.jpg","/articles/6232363/Rowan-County/North-Carolina/Advocates-urge-Rowan-County-to-fund-youth-action-agency-using-Communities-That-Care-model","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232363-a5e9ffe9a68643628c5f27ae8cb3bff3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178123&Signature=RAlZZOr6hCUFobKnxnyHGCJOpUcZkHIqk2NUTk-I4E~gEiX~VcqLYPcARcCIjy-IRv8cDEQwjAEoDt2Nf0uwIzKIx2UrINGIWnIcFLhRhr1cmagsqPEwonL5Dhoe7GJ-F4kKaHGZBPEzYtLWW~yQmAnCQKl3EcIEYVfusPhZesg4Qh6fnXhUfP3wpHEKOe2QfDzhKolNJAS-7kHWX-mvIT1UE1bFhx9aS5XzosRHnDM5Z8ztzE91lLBx9GNsVfJLWX8qdOCVbmTjY8Bh8ygxH8hWsNLheI4XvnsMTkermPf9Um~Zg2wdczFvJqA-HiWbfI7RR9Brn~hBDfFUM8aIBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During the public-comment period on May 19, two residents urged Rowan County commissioners to create and fund a youth action agency using the Communities That Care prevention model, asking the county to pay for a full-time coordinator to organize a coalition of local providers.

\"I'm here to advocate for you all to address the needs of the youth in the community to create a youth action agency in Rowan County using the Communities That Care model,\" said Megan Mack, who told the commissioners the model \"is shown to reduce youth violence by 25% [and] reduce youth drug use by over 30%, and has a $6 return on investment for every dollar that goes into its functioning.\"

Brandy Gardner Berg, the second commenter, repeated the request and described community support for a coordinator who would connect services, create youth leadership roles and help young people develop stronger ties to their communities. \"It creates this root system that will bring the children more connection with their communities,\" Berg said, adding that the approach would both reduce harmful behavior and increase youth volunteerism and civic engagement.

Both speakers asked the board to fund a full-time coordinator to implement the universal, coalition-based prevention model locally. The comments were delivered during the public-comment period and no formal action by the board was recorded in the meeting minutes.

Ending

Speakers asked the commissioners to consider investing county funds to establish a local youth action agency and to use the Communities That Care framework; board members did not take formal action during the meeting.","Two public commenters asked the Board to fund a full-time coordinator to implement the Communities That Care prevention framework and form a local youth action agency. Speakers cited research claims (25% reduction in youth violence, >30% reduction in youth drug use, $6 return per $1 invested) and urged the county to coordinate local services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rowan County approves one-time permit for bull-riding event at Oak Mountain with condition of three deputies after prior 2024 shooting

Rowan County approves level-1 incentive for Project Pixi, a local employer's $28 million expansion

Rowan County manager presents balanced roughly $216 million FY2025-26 budget; tax rate held steady

Advocates urge Rowan County to fund youth action agency using Communities That Care model