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ROSE HILL — The auditor conducting a state-required audit for the Town of Rose Hill for its fiscal year 2024-25 gave the town a clean financial bill of health in a presentation given to the town board via Zoom during its meeting on Jan. 13.
Austin Eubanks of the Wilmington office of Thompson, Price, Scott & Adams, CPA, told the board he found no problems with Rose Hill’s finances in the audit. He referred to their finances as “very impressive numbers.”
Eubanks seemed most impressed with the undesignated fund balance of the town.
“The minimum undesignated fund balance and percentage of expenditures minimum threshold is 34 percent,” he said. “Your undesignated fund balance is $1.9 million. You’re sitting at 151.47 percent, well over the minimum threshold.”
The board was also pleased to learn they are in good shape for any unexpected situations.
“As of June 30, 2025, if you did not collect any more additional revenue, you can still operate on a normal basis, not having to reduce any expenditures. You could still operate for an additional 18 months,” Eubanks told the board.
Those numbers are obviously good news, especially when the briefing from the auditor was followed by town business revealing a need to fund several repairs and projects in town.
One of those needed projects is replacing a heat pump unit at the Rose Hill Community Library. The unit that handles the main library area has been out for over a month, forcing the library to limit hours on days when the temperatures were very low. The board voted to replace the unit at a cost of $16,600 which will go to Powell Heating & Air, which was the lowest of three bids.
The board also approved a contract to repair the roof at town hall and the police department at a cost of $38,000.
The board voted to table two other major projects in town in hopes of obtaining more than one bid on them.
One of those projects involves repairs to a gravity sewer line on Charity Road. Rose Hill Public Works Director Blake Parker told the board the line is broken in three places. He added the repairs will be challenging because the 30 feet of line that needs repairs is 17 feet deep.
Parker said he had only received one bid on the project at a total cost of $33,500.
In another major project, the town is attempting to improve a sidewalk along Church Street to make it easier to access businesses located on the northern side of the street. A beauty shop had requested handrails be installed along steps in front of their business to help older clients safely get to their business. It was determined any repairs or additions to the sidewalk would have to bring that block into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
Only one bid for the sidewalk repairs, which would include a handrail along the entire block, as well as the addition of an accessible ramp at the corner of Church Street and Railroad Street, was priced at $56,292.
The sewer line repair project and the Church Street sidewalk project were tabled in order to seek additional bids.
In other business:
The board reappointed Town Administrator Angela Smith to serve another term as a representative on the Eastern Carolina Council General Membership Board.
During department reports, Commissioner Billy Wilson Jr., who also serves as chief of Rose Hill Fire Department, said he was hoping to hear soon from the state regarding the town’s latest fire rating after their recent inspection. The rating of local fire departments affects the cost of homeowners insurance in the area they serve.
