ROCKWELL — When the Rockwell Board of Aldermen sat down to begin planning out its budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the members were adamant that there would be no tax increases.

“We also cannot go up on taxes, because we have the last few years and, believe me, our tax rate is already pretty high,” said Mayor Chuck Bowman at a budget workshop in March.

The budget proposed on Monday, May 12 holds true to that mandate, holding the town’s tax rate steady and not introducing any new fees.

The town did see a relatively significant raise in its revenues through a new investment strategy, however. Instead of holding the town’s fund balance and Powell Bill funds in a simple bank account, the town chose to store that money with the North Carolina Capital Management Trust, which allowed for more interest income while still keeping the money available short-term.

That change led the town to $46,000 in added revenues, equivalent to just under two cents on the tax rate. The town also received approximately $71,000 in additional revenue from property taxes.

That extra funding will go towards several town projects and issues, with one of the primary uses being staffing. Town staff will receive an average five percent increase to salaries, which covers cost of living adjustments, longevity pay and salary increases to keep the town competitive.

The town also utilized its fund balance, or available savings, to pay for a $60,000 project for the lower parking lot at the Rockwell American Legion building. Public Works director Chris Renfrow asked for $134,000 for the total project, but the aldermen decided to delay the other half until a future budget year in order to lower the budget this year.

The budget also includes $38,000 in appropriations for repairs to various park buildings.

“From the onset, the board of aldermen was adamant (it) had no intention of raising taxes. It was decided to purchase needed public works and police vehicles on a five-year payment plan, to make necessary repairs to the park shelter roofs, and to complete needed repairs to the Legion Building lower parking out of the current fund balance,” wrote Town Clerk and Finance Officer Marlene Dunn in an email.

The most contentious part of the budgeting process, however, was the town’s discussion of potentially contracting fire service of the town to the Rockwell Rural Fire Department, shutting down the 70-year-old Rockwell Fire Department.

Ultimately, the aldermen decided to move forward with the Rockwell Fire Department, with Chief Jereme Linker providing a plan to improve the department’s ISO Fire Safety Rating, as the town received a Class 3 rating at its last evaluation in 2023. Linker’s plan primarily focused on the categories where the department struggled the most in water supply, personnel training and availability of company personnel.

Linker’s plan is shown in the budget through the addition of two new full-time firefighter positions, one of which is funded at $50,980. The other position is not funded, as Linker hopes to pay for it with a FEMA grant. The budget also includes an approximately $33,000 increase in funding for part-time salaries.

The total budget stands at a proposed $2,930,710, down from the prior year’s $3,228,177.