Officials from the Town of Ronda in Wilkes County have decided to begin the process of dissolving the town’s charter. The move comes after the Local Government Commission (LGC) had issued a warning to town officials, citing financial and compliance concerns at its Sept. 1 meeting.
LGC Chair and state Treasurer Brad Briner applauded the town’s leaders for making such a difficult decision that he says is ultimately the responsible path forward.
“We appreciate Ronda leaders’ willingness to do what is best for their citizens and taxpayers,” he said in a press release on Wednesday. “These elected leaders took the town’s financial challenges seriously, and our staff is ready to work with them, Wilkes County, and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition.”
Ronda has been on the LGC’s Unit Assistance List (UAL) since 2015.
The UAL helps LGC staff make decisions about how to allocate limited state resources to provide additional monitoring and assistance where it is most needed. This list is published annually based on the prior year’s audited financial statements.
Ronda’s concerns include repeated late audits, budget violations, problems involving federal payroll tax payments, persistent deficits in the town’s water and sewer fund, and other financial management issues.
Town officials were given 30 days at the meeting to take corrective action, and if they didn’t, the LGC said it would assume control of the town’s finances under its statutory authority.
The LGC says there are several steps that still need to be taken before the charter is officially rescinded and Ronda becomes part of the unincorporated area of Wilkes County. About 42% of North Carolinians currently live in unincorporated areas.
Rowland also given similar warning
A similar warning was issued to the Town of Rowland in Robeson County.
Rowland has been on the UAL since 2020 after also appearing on the list in 2015 and 2016. The town has had repeated late audits and budget violations, used restricted grant funds for current operations, experienced persistent water and sewer fund operating losses, and demonstrated other financial management deficiencies.
The town also has 30 days to submit a plan of action to the LGC on how it plans to correct the identified deficiencies.
“There is not a lot of time,” Briner said in a Sept. 1 press release. “We are tasked with making sure that no municipalities in North Carolina go bankrupt, and we are perilously close here. If we don’t have good answers by the time we meet in 30 days… I would be willing to have this conversation again next month, but to my mind, the discussion next month will be around dissolution— unless something really changes for the positive.”
Also, officials from the Town of Littleton, in Halifax County, gave a financial update to the LGC at its meeting. It was their third appearance this year.
Cary, Greensboro, Rocky Mount, and Zebulon also make the Ual
The LGC has also placed Cary in Wake County, Greensboro in Guilford County, Rocky Mount in Edgecombe and Nash counties, and Zebulon in Wake County, on the UAL based on FY 2025 audit reports.
LGC officials say they are taking a more consistent approach to identifying local governments that may need additional financial oversight and assistance, regardless of their size.
Larger units normally were not included on the list, even though they met the criteria, because LGC staff believed those governments had sufficient resources to address financial concerns without additional state assistance. The LGC is, however, changing that approach.
“Financial concerns should be taken seriously regardless of the size of the local government,” the treasurer said in a Sept. 4 press release. “Rocky Mount is a good example of how larger units can benefit from the additional monitoring, oversight, and support that our staff provide to units on the UAL.”
The city’s financial issues were the subject of an audit by State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office in March.
According to the March audit, a former city manager was left unchecked from August 2023 to August 2025, contributing to the town’s financial crisis. During that time, the city’s cash and investment balances declined by approximately $80 million, falling from about $100 million to $21.8 million — a 78% drop in two years.
City officials were first asked to attend LGC meetings beginning in April. At that time, the commission agreed to postpone a state takeover of Rocky Mount’s finances contingent on the city complying with specific requirements.
They attended in again in May, where it was noted, the town had noticeable progress, and have substantially built upon their efforts.
City leaders told LGC officials in June that they have made significant headway with the city’s financial situation.
Rocky Mount’s cash position improved enough that state officials told city leaders in July that they would not require city leaders to return to the LGC in August, though the city remains under close financial monitoring.
The September 2026 UAL list, based on FY25 audits, will be published in its entirety once all units on the list have been notified. The fall 2025 list, based on FY24 audits, contained 146 counties, municipalities and utility authorities or districts. That UAL and additional information for units on the list are available on the Department of State Treasurer’s website.
The LGC monitors the financial health of more than 1,100 local government units across North Carolina.