Six of the seven candidates already on the ballot for the three commissioner seats open up in November joined together this week in one voice directed at Rowan County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jim Sides.

The issue? The date of a public hearing regarding financing for West End Plaza.

Through the letter, the pool of Republican, Democrat and unaffiliated candidates channeled their concern about commissioners’ December purchase of the mall, a controversial issue from the outset and one that has become a lightning rod for debate before, during and after the primary election.

County officials received the letter Monday, which calls for the cancellation and desired postponement of the public hearing necessary to move forward in the financing process with the Local Government Commission.

The hearing is slated for Monday’s meeting.

Out of the Republican candidates, Jim Greene and Judy Klusman signed the letter while Greg Edds declined.

Democrats Leda Belk and Rick Locklear signed the letter in addition to unaffiliated candidates Raymond Coltrain and Gene Miller.

The letter states the purchase of the mall “proceeded despite strong public opposition” and “many citizens and voters conveyed concerns” to the commissioners and urged them to slow down.

The results of the primary election indicate voters do not support the commissioners’ decision, according to the letter.

Three of the five seats on the commission will be filled with new members come fall, and the outgoing majority have the hearing slated for Monday.

In the letter, the six candidates agreed “there will be an additional public outcry if the outgoing majority continues to push this project forward at this time.”

In addition to cancelling Monday’s public hearing, the candidates want the event bumped to a date after the general election.

“If (commissioners) will not defer action on this controversial project, we request that the Local Government Commission … table Rowan County government’s application until after the November election so that the new majority will not be hamstrung by the action of an outgoing majority,” the letter reads.

Klusman said the letter shows great concern for the fiscal situation the current Board of Commissioners has brought the county to as well as an equally great concern the lame-duck board may tie the future board’s hands in regard to addressing West End Plaza.

“Citizens have been warning for months that spending $3.45 million for the old mall, and another $1.5 million for an airport hangar from the county reserve fund, would put us in general fiscal risk of falling below LGC fund balance requirements,” Klusman said. “Instead of borrowing money for these projects, which would have required a public hearing and allowed citizen comments, they paid cash so as not to have their plans derailed by public outcry.”

The candidates who signed the letter are asking commissioners to wait and let the next county board make the decisions for the future, Klusman said.

Edds, the only candidate to abstain, said he did not want to sign the letter without understanding what effect the financing of West End Plaza would have on the county’s finances.

Edds said he spoke with Rowan County Manager Gary Page, who said the county already has paid for the mall out of its fund balance and the money needs to be replaced or the county’s reserves will drop to the minimum required by law.

If a newly elected board wants to entertain thoughts of selling West End Plaza or pursuing alternative plans for development, Edds said returning those dollars to the county’s reserves will “in no way stop that.”

“However, failing to return the funds to reserves could negatively affect the county’s financial rating and jeopardize funding for school construction projects that the commissioners and school board have finally agreed upon,” Edds said. “I will not be party to that.”

Sides declined to comment on the letter, and Page could not be reached Tuesday.