North Carolina town founded in 1907 votes to dissolve itself after years of financial trouble

Town officials have voted to move toward dissolving a North Carolina town founded in 1907, based on advice from the NC Local Government Commission. Ronda, a small town situated along the Yadkin River in Wilkes County, has been on the North Carolina Local Government Commission’s Unit Assistance List for just over a decade. In that time, the LGC has highlighted concerns including late audits, budget violations and deficits in the town’s water system, according to LGC records.On August 11, Kendra Boyle, the LGC's director of fiscal management, warned officials during a town meeting that Ronda was facing "severe and immediate financial distress," if town leaders didn't make some serious changes. Town officials appeared at the latest LGC meeting on September 1 and pleaded with commissioners for enough time to hold a vote that would let their citizens, rather than a state panel, decide the fate of the town.With the town already facing the possibility of not being able to meet payroll in a few months, the commission was already questioning its viability. It gave Ronda certain tasks to complete before returning in October, but a majority of town officials decided to heed the commission’s a...