Future of Ronda in Question Amid Financial Struggles
Residents of Ronda, a small town in Wilkes County, may soon have the opportunity to decide its fate. This week, the town’s board of commissioners took a significant step by voting to request that state lawmakers include a dissolution referendum in the upcoming November ballot.
Acting Mayor Kevin Reece has highlighted the town’s financial difficulties as a primary factor in this decision. “We’re losing $25,000 a month,” Reece explained. “If we cut out every service we provide the people, we still can’t make up the $25,000.”
Should the town be dissolved, the responsibility for certain services would shift. While the county might take over tasks like park maintenance, residents would need to manage others, such as trash collection, on their own.
The financial decline has been attributed largely to an aging water system. Reece noted, “Water lines that were old have continued to fail consistently, and the repairs of those water lines and the delays of getting them repaired because we don’t have the equipment nor the staff have greatly eaten up the general fund. And it’s just been an ongoing cycle.”
Adding to the town’s woes, financial consultant Michael Boaz resigned in May. Shortly thereafter, he faced felony embezzlement charges for his role as town manager in Pilot Mountain.
The board is collaborating with the state treasurer’s office and the League of Municipalities to conduct a thorough review of the town’s finances. Reece anticipates that state lawmakers will make a decision regarding the referendum within a fortnight.
