People living on this Cleveland County lake are protesting city’s fee increases

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Homeowners who live on Moss Lake, a reservoir between Kings Mountain and Shelby, say city officials are proposing unreasonable fee increases for their properties.

Nearly a hundred people attended Tuesday night’s Kings Mountain City Council meeting to voice their frustrations over the proposed changes for the community.

Residents currently are charged a $575 annual lease fee for the use and development of the 10 feet of shoreline from the water to their property lines. City officials said due to discounts and fee-bundling options with boat and fishing permits, few residents ever come close to paying the full amount.

The new proposal would have residents pay a base fee of $575, with additional costs based on how many feet of frontage a property has. It’s broken down in the following segments:

• Homes with 51 to 100 feet would be charged $725.
• Homes with 101 to 300 feet owe $975.
• Homes with 301 to 1,000 feet would pay $1,325
• Homes with more than 1,000 feet would be charged $1,725.

Boating permits currently cost $16 for a day pass and $80 for a yearly pass. The proposed change would bring the prices to $40 for a one-day boating permit and $200 for boat access all year. City residents would get a 50 percent discount.

Camping fees would also increase. Daily rates would go from $20 to $35. A week-long camping permit would increase from $100 to $175.

City leaders said they have not altered the fee schedule for Moss Lake since 2018. The rates are typically adjusted every two to four years.

Public documents show the current revenue generated from permits and fees does not cover the estimated yearly expenses. During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, it cost around $505,000 to maintain the reservoir, but the revenue streams only generated about $399,000 for the year.

Residents told council members at Tuesday’s meeting they understand the need for more money to keep up with rising costs, but are opposed to a large, sudden increase.

“Implementing such a substantial increase all at once seems unjust and could have adverse effects on our community,” said Cody Turner, a resident on the Shelby side of the community.

Several speakers wanted to dispel any notion of Moss Lake being home to mostly wealthy families.

“Although I’m rich in God’s grace, not so much in today’s economy,” said Gloria Day of Cherryville. “Many are hardworking people on fixed incomes, we have a difficult time making adjustments to our budget.”

The 1,600-acre man-mad lake has about 500 permanent homes on its shore. Not all homes are within the Kings Mountain city limits.

The proposal would also require residents to remove their irrigation pumps. Residents said many have used the pumps to water lawns and gardens for decades.

The Kings Mountain City Council voted to not take action on the fee schedule, but to delay the vote until they have another meeting on the topic.

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