'Dying' Burke County needs to be revived

If you heard the roaring sound of applause, the thunder might have been coming from The Paper offices.

A few short weeks ago, we challenged Burke leaders to make J-O-B-S a priority on its must-do list for 2025. So in the continuing spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’ll say it did our hearts good to hear from County Manager Brian Epley that building the county’s workforce and employment base is a major focus.

A major obstacle to greater economic prosperity is the lack of working-age people in the county. Instead of rephrasing, we’ll let Epley explain the case: “It’s not that every stage in life isn’t contributory to our community and our economy, but you contribute in different ways,” Epley said. “So, in this workforce age of over 18 and under 60, we’re behind, and getting worse.”

Whenever we are out in the community, we regularly hear how much Burke County has grown over the years. Appearances don’t match up with reality.

Burke did have a very modest net gain of 366 people (mostly retirees) between 2022 and 2023 yet we have shrunk by at least 2,000 compared to our population high of nearly 91,000 in 2010. The workforce peaked in 2000.

The decline garnered Burke County the label of “dying” in 2020. That’s a characterization we would like to shed.

The situation is a bit chicken-and-egg. High-paying jobs will attract workers to the county. However, an existing strong employment base is needed to recruit industries that would supply those jobs.

Ah, the dilemma.

Adding to that complexity is Burke’s lack of housing at a price range within the grasp of residents. The median list price on Friday, Feb. 14, was $360,000 and inventory has decreased since last month. The market gives a slight advantage to sellers. The average rental rate isn’t much better at about $1,300 per month.

Our housing series last July similarly painted a less-than-rosy picture. Morganton City Manager Sally Sandy said at the time the 2017 master plan showed that 1,000 housing units could be built within a 10-minute walk of downtown. “We haven’t made a dent,” she said and stressed housing must now be a focus.

Of course that was before Hurricane Helene shook up the plans of every jurisdiction in Western North Carolina.

Thankfully, some pivotal economic development projects are inching forward. County leaders estimate that the prospective shell building at Burke Business Park off Kathy Road (exit 96) will be constructed by the end of the year. That will go a long way toward attracting a potential industrial partner.

The site of the former Drexel Furniture factory will soon be filled with activity, not weeds. Town Manager Bill Carroll is betting the site will be graded before 2025 wraps up. That is an important first step in bringing a new major employer to Burke County.

We’re not so naive as to think there will be quick answers. Hope springs eternal, however, that Burke County will kick the dying tag once and for all.

Note: Read more about the Drexel site on Page 5A. On 6A is the story about the county’s migration trends. Our Housing series can be found at www.thepaper.media under the Special Sections tab.