The staff directory is organized by department. The department phone number and staff e-mails are listed. If you're not sure who to contact, call the City's main number: (828) 437-8863.
E-mail the Public Information Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The City's Administration Department is responsible for the overall administration and operation of City departments and City services and carries out the actions and polices of the Morganton City Council.
The Administration Department is comprised of the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Clerk and the Public Information Officer.
In 1998, the City Council named its first female City Manager, Sally Sandy. Sandy is responsibile for preparing the budget, directing day-to-day operations and directing the City's department heads.
The City Council-City Manager form of local government combines the political leadership of elected officials with the professional experience of an appointed local government administrator.
Under the Council-City Manager form, power is concentrated in the elected council, which hires a professional administrator – the City Manager - to implement the Council's policies.
CoMMA, the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium, offers local residents and regional visitors a chance to see and hear Broadway shows and national concerts in their own backyard.
CoMMA's MainStage Season offers an excellent variety of shows at prices that are hard to beat. In the lobby, visitors can enjoy local art exhibits and view an original Ben Long Fresco "Sacred Dance and the Muses."
Check out what's playing at CoMMA on the CoMMA website at www.commaonline.org.
You can view upcoming shows, buy tickets, get directions, and more!
City of Morganton Public Antenna SystemCoMPAS,the City of Morganton Public Antenna System, offers cable television, high-speed broadband Internet, and VoIP telephone service to Morganton residents at an extremely competitive price. The CoMPAS office is located in Morganton City Hall at 305 E. Union St. Suite A100, Morganton, NC 28655.
Visit CoMPAS' commercial web site at www.compascable.net to learn more about cable, high-speed Internet, and phone packages and rates.
Cable TV, Internet, Phone Problems?
To report a cable television, internet or Voice phone outage, call 438-5353.
The City of Morganton Television Studio is responsible for the City's video productions.
Chad Medford, Morganton's Studio Specialist, broadcasts live meetings such as the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, and records events for broadcast such as the Morganton Christmas Parade and other city events.
The Studio Specialist also works with the City's Public Information Officer to produce Public Service Announcements and video projects used to promote the City and City Services.
DVDs of meetings and various City events are available by request for a fee.
To order, call Chad Medford, the Studio Specialist, at 828-438-5397 or send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The focus of Development & Design Services is to manage and encourage growth that maintains quality of life for Morganton's residents. All new residential, commercial and industrial development is reviewed by the department to ensure consistency with Morganton's Mission 2030 Plan and to ensure proper infrastructure services are available. The department is keenly focused on new economic development strategies to sustain the City into the future.
Development & Design Services is primarily responsible for planning, building inspections, zoning enforcement, federal Community Development Block Grant Administration, urban design, infrastructure inspections, and code enforcement. The department is also responsible for developing new ordinances, transportation planning, annexations, urban redevelopment services, housing renovation, and special projects such as the Catawba River Greenway and the Catawba Meadows Baseball Complex.
Department staff work with the many Morganton Boards and Commissions such as the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment, Historic Preservation Commission, Community Appearance Commission and Redevelopment Commission. The Department works very closely with other Departments to coordinate new and existing development.
Zoning is the process by which an area is divided into various districts, each of which is specifically intended for different uses and intensity of uses and within which the use of land and buildings, the height and dimension of buildings, the size of required yards and the population density are regulated.
The City of Morganton Electric Department is constantly striving to provide reliable electric service. This includes maintaining the existing lines, building new lines, upgrading and advancing employee training, and providing a quick and efficient response to service calls.
Your hometown electric company is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Electric crews respond immediately to after hour calls.
Power Problems?
Call (828) 438-5277 to report a power outage, electric problem or a downed power line. Always stay clear of downed power lines. Even if the lines appear harmless, they could still be energized and deadly.
New Service or Billing Questions? Call (828) 438-5245.
The Finance Department is responsible for the fiscal activities of the City. The department is divided into functional divisions including accounting/payroll, purchasing, budget, customer service/utility billing and payment processing, and tax billing and tax payment processing. Preparation of financial reports, investment of City funds, and management of debt issuances are other key departmental tasks.
The department strives to maintain the fiscal integrity of the City in accordance with City ordinances, State and Federal laws, and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
As part of our commitment to provide citizens with efficient and convenient service, the City of Morganton has partnered with ElectriCities and Official Payments to offer utility account information and the ability to pay City bills and taxes online.
Residents now have access to account information and usage history for electric and water services via our new online Payment Portal. To pay online and to view your utility account information, click the "Pay Bills Online / My Utilities" link at the top of the page to go to the City's Payment Portal.
You can also pay bills over the phone by calling 1-855-461-9814 (toll free).
Each business located within the city limits of Morganton is required to maintain a current Privilege License with the City of Morganton. To avoid penalties, businesses must renew their licenses each year before August 1. Businesses paying after July 31 will be charged five percent (5%) per month until the license is properly renewed and all fees are paid.
The City of Morganton provides electric, water and sewer and telecommunications service to City residents and businesses.
The City of Morganton follows a varying, credit-based deposit policy. The standard deposit is $400.00 for all utilities – electric, water and sewer. Customers do have the option to apply for a lower deposit at an additional cost of $10.00. If a customer wishes to apply for a lower deposit, the City will run a verification check to determine the customer's eligibility.
The Human Resources Department provides a wide range of services that include recruitment and selection, managing competitive pay and benefit programs, handling employee relations, developing training and organizational programs, coordinating a wellness program and helping to establish a friendly atmosphere in a safe and healthy environment.
The Human Resources staff takes great pride in being part of the City of Morganton team. As the City continues to be recognized as an "employer of choice," we strive to maintain our effective governmental leadership role in our state.
The City's Legal Department consists of the City Attorney and the City's paralegal.
City Attorney Louis Vinay provides in-house legal counsel to the City Council, the City Manager, and Department staff concerning state and federal law, City ordinances, legal procedure, and matters relating to official duties. The City Attorney also represents the City in litigation and related matters, and drafts ordinances, resolutions, contracts and similar documents.
The City Attorney is appointed by the City Council and serves at the Council's pleasure. The City Attorney must be a member of the State Bar of North Carolina in good standing.
The Main Street Department oversees development in the City's Special Downtown Tax District, which is a 36-block area in Downtown Morganton. Morganton was awarded the honor of becoming a Main Street Program in 1982 by the North Carolina Main Street Program and the department strives to develop the downtown district through organization, promotion, design and economic restructuring. The Main Street Department also manages the Morganton Community House.
The Morganton Main Street Office consists of one full-time director, one full-time Community Events Coordinator, and a 20-hour a week office assistant funded by the Historic Morganton Festival, Inc., as well as many volunteers.
The tax rate for the Special Downtown Tax District is currently $0.14 cent per $100 valuation.
Visit the Downtown Morganton website to learn more about Downtown Morganton and access a downtown business directory, business resources, shopping and dining guides, and information about the Downtown Development Association.
A Traditional Venue for the Mondern EventBuilt in 1935, the original purpose of the Community House was to provide a venue for clubs, civic groups and the citizens of Morganton to meet and socialize. Since then we have added weddings, corporate meetings and other large-scale events to our repertoire. We take pride in providing exceptional service and high quality cuisine at an affordable cost. Our expert staff will guarantee a seamless event ensuring every detail of your experience is a memory to treasure.
Call 828-438-5364 to plan your next event at the Morganton Community House, or click the link below to book your event online.
Morganton's Parks and Recreation Dept. staff maintains more than 400 acres of land developed for recreational use. Residents and visitors have access to three recreation centers, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a soccer complex, eleven parks, a skeet range, an extensive greenway system and Catawba Meadows Park, which alone covers more than 200 acres along the Catawba River!
Parks and Recreation staff are also responsible for organizing and managing the City's youth and adult sports leagues, yearly leisure activities as well as special events such as Morganton's Red, White and Bluegrass Festival. The Red, White and Bluegrass Festival was nominated for IBMA Bluegrass event of the year for 2009, and nominated and selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events for the month of July 2011!
The City of Morganton Parks and Recreation Department maintains more than 400 acres of land developed for recreational use including 10 public parks and the Morganton Greenway System. All parks are open from dawn to 10:00 pm.
The Parks and Recreation Department also operates several facilites in the City including two recreation centers, an indoor and outdoor pool and a skeet range.
Check out the City's Parks and Recreation facilities. (Google Maps) 
The Parks and Recreation Department also organizes and manages the City's youth and adult sports leagues, yearly leisure activities, classes and fitness programs, senior citizen activities and trips and aquatics programs, as well as special events such as Morganton's Red, White and Bluegrass Festival.
Adult sports leagues include softball, basketball and kickball! Call (828) 438-5350 to find out more details about current and upcoming league sports.
The City's Parks and Recreation Department offers many aquatics programs and classes including swim lessons, lifeguard certification, water exercise and water volleyball! Call 438-5380 for more information.
The Morganton Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of activities and classes for everyone to enjoy! You can learn guitar and banjo, try your hand at painting and drawing, or improve your moves on the dance floors! Call (828) 438-5350, or 438-5241 to find out more about current classes and fitness programs.
Check here to find out information about upcoming special events sponsored by the Morganton Parks and Recreation Department such as the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival and the Morganton Comi-Con comic book convention.
The City of Morganton Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of activities and trips for Senior Citizens. Call (828) 438-5350, or 438-5241 to find out more about current Senior programs.
City youth sports leagues include swimming, wrestling, football, soccer and more. Adult leagues include softball, basketball, kickball and more! Call (828) 438-5350 to find out more details about current and upcoming league sports.
The City of Morganton City Council adopted the Public Safety concept in the late 1970s. The City employed law enforcement personnel as early as 1896 and purchased firefighting equipment as early as 1923. In 1976, the City formed the Morganton Public Safety Department from a separate police and fire department. Since that time the City of Morganton has continued the Public Safety philosophy.
We, the members of the Morganton Department of Public Safety, are committed to protect the lives, property, and Constitutional Rights of all residents and visitors of OUR community by providing professional law enforcement and fire protection services
Integrity: High ethical standards, honesty and fairness Professionalism: Individual excellence, education and training
Honor: Official dignity, repute, and esteem
Accountability: To take responsibility for all actions and decisions
Respect: Treating others as you would like to be treated
Equality: Fair, impartial, and equitable treatment of all people
The Morganton Department of Public Safety strives to be a leader in the delivery of public safety services, which combines law enforcement and fire protection. Our employees strive to be leaders in OUR community in name and deed, conducting themselves in a manner to which others will aspire.
Morganton's Public Works Department provides street maintenance, garbage pickup, recycling, cemeteries and grounds maintenance, city warehousing, equipment services and beautification projects throughout the city as well as caring for the Historic Burke County Courthouse lawn and landscaping.
Call Public Works at 438-5248 for scheduled services.
The City of Morganton provides back yard residential garbage collection and curbside yard waste services and convenience center recycling for $10.00 per residence per month. The City will provide additional services for bulk waste, appliances and other items on a user fee basis. The base fee is $25.00 per collection.
Only 6% of North Carolina Municipalities provide back yard collection. Approximately 68% of Municipalities charge user fees for residential garbage collection, average monthly fee $ 9.99/month.
As residents of Burke County, Citizens of Morganton residents pay disposal fees on their Burke County taxes.
Burke County does not charge the City of Morganton to dispose residential solid waste. However, Burke County does charge for the City of Morganton to dispose of bulk items in the County landfill.
The County also bans the disposal of white goods (appliances) and cardboard. Burke County accepts white goods for recycling. These fees and bans are to encourage recycling and discourage disposal. This is one of the reasons the City of Morganton charges a $25.00 fee for collection of these items.
No building materials, dirt, concrete, bricks or blocks, or refuse from building, remodeling, and repair operations or landscape work will be handled by City forces. All waste material of this nature shall be removed by the contractor, or in the event of his failure, by the owner of the property; provided, that the owner may make application to the sanitation superintendent and the superintendent may, if practical, remove the rubbish at the expense of the owner.
Construction and demolition debris is not residential waste and an additional disposal fee must be paid at the Burke County Landfill.
The City's Public Works Department provides weekly brush collection services for City residents. To ensure City workers can safely collect brush and other yard debris, please follow these guidelines:
Brush created by tree trimming services, logging operations or other tree cutting operations provided by private contractors must be collected and disposed of by the contractor and not placed at curbside for pick up by the City.
If you have questions, contact the Public Works Department at 438-5248, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Leaf collection starts in October and continues as needed through January. The City Public Works Dept. currently collects leaves every two weeks during leaf season - October through January. After January, loose leaves will be collected for a $25.00 fee.
Residents should pile leaves as close to the road as possible without blocking the road or sidewalks.
The City will not provide leaf bags. Loose-leaf collection is much more efficient. Also, using loose-leaf collection saves money and eliminates unnecessary plastic bag waste.
Having issues with your backyard trash collection?
To report a missed trash pickup or to schedule rough trash/debris pickup, call 438-5248.
The City of Morganton Water Resources Department is comprised of five divisions that maintain the water distribution and wastewater collection systems for the City of Morganton. Water Resources offers water to 38,000 residents in Morganton, parts of Burke County, Oak Hill and US 64/NC 18.
Administration
The Administration division staff provides office support and information to customers, and handles the department's purchasing, payroll and planning responsibilities
Water Treatment
The Water Treatment division operates the 18 million-gallons-per-day conventional water plant. The plant has 5 million gallons of on-site finished water storage and a dewatering building to get rid of the solids that accumulate in the water treatment process. Eight pumping stations and 11 finished water storage tanks distribute water throughout the system.
Sewer Treatment
The Sewer Treatment division operates the 10.5- to 13-million-gallons-per-day sewer treatment plant.
The Sewer Treatment staff manages the different treatment aspects of the facility – including state-certified laboratory facilities, the pretreatment program, and a compost process to get rid of bio-solids. The facility discharges its treated effluent directly to the Catawba River.
The solids process consists of raw sludge storage to aerobic digesters, plus activated sludge to aerobic digesters, polymer addition, centrifuges, and composting. The compost product is then made available for sale to the public as "Morganite."
Collections & Distribution
The Collections and Distribution division staff maintains 320 miles of water lines and 200 miles of sewer lines. The division is responsible for system repairs, water and sewer taps, meters, fire hydrants, valves, pressure regulation valves and back flow prevention devices.
The collection system preventative maintenance program is run by this division.
Water outage or sewage issue?
To report a water outage or other water or sewer issues, call 438-5276.
Cutoffs & Existing Service: For information on cutoffs and to apply for existing service, call 438-5245.
New Construction: For initial installation and new construction of water or sewer connections, call 438-5276.
Water Reports: Click here to view Water Quality and Wastewater (Sewer) Reports. 
City of Morganton, NC Government(828) 437-8863 | E-mail the PIO | 305 E. Union St. Suite A100, Morganton, NC 28655 | Mailing: PO Box 3448, Morganton, NC 28680-3448
The City of Morganton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Can't find what you're looking for on the website? E-mail the Public Information Officer.
Pay Bills Online / My Utilities
