State officials are urging leaders in the Wilkes County town of Ronda to dissolve the town’s charter, citing a worsening financial crisis.
In a letter to town officials, state lawmakers outlined a series of financial problems, including repeated overspending on the water system, penalties from the IRS for late payroll tax payments and critically low cash reserves.
The letter said the town was “no longer viable” and urged its leaders to start the dissolution process.
At a meeting this week, Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Reece said he’d hoped to leave that decision up to voters, and had asked state officials about adding a referendum to the ballot.
“But the local government commission came back and said that the fastest they could do that is 2027, and they believe that Ronda will run out of money before 2027," he said.
Reece said the town’s leaders may not have the final say.
“The state's basically saying they're going to make the decision for us if we don’t make it," he said.
Ronda’s board is set to get feedback from residents during a special meeting Saturday at 6 p.m. The earliest it could make a final decision on the matter is September 8.