City agrees to help county pay for airport improvements; mayor declares new day of cooperation -- Rowan County (KRUQ), Salisbury, North Carolina

SALISBURY — After a sometimes tense exchange between Salisbury and Rowan County officials, City Council agreed Tuesday to help pay for water and sewer service to a new hangar at the Rowan County Airport.

A month after Rowan County succeeded in having the airport removed from Salisbury city limits, the county asked the city to kick in $39,700 from the now-defunct Airport Development Fund for water-sewer improvements. The city and county both contributed airport property tax revenues to the fund for four years, and Rowan County commissioners vice chairman Craig Pierce asked the city on Tuesday to “use the money for the intent it was taken.”

Ultimately, City Council members agreed they should make good on their commitment to invest in economic development at the airport. But before the unanimous vote, the discussion took several turns.

City Manager Doug Paris, who reminded City Council that county commissioners told the city to “get out of the way” as they pursued deannexing the airport, said the county had tied the city’s vote on airport funding to a request for help with Kesler Mill.

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