The City of Morganton 2017-2018 budget is expected to be presented tonight at the City Council Meeting at City Hall. The proposed budget of $73,062,657 is a half of a percent increase over the actual fiscal year 2016/17 budget. The proposed budget does not call for an increase in the tax rate for property owners, or for the special downtown business district. The budget includes increases for residents in solid waste fees and sewer fees, while holding the same rates on electric service and water. The proposed also decreases the bundling discount of COMPAS TV, telephone and internet by 50% with a total elimination of the discount by next year. It does not change residential internet rates or telephone rates, but does raise commercial telephone rates. Effective January 1st COMPAS Cable will raise broadcast basic cable service to $30.40 per month, with basic cable service going from $76.63 to $82.63. City Council is expected to call a public hearing on the budget at 6pm June 19th.

A Catawba County jury found a Hickory man guilty of indecent exposure following a three-day trial. 46-year-old Neil Wayne Hoyle faces up to 21 months in prison following last week's verdict. Hoyle reportedly stopped at a Hickory residence in March 2016 as a female was unloading groceries from her vehicle. The defendant told her the home looked like it needed remodeling and inquired if he could give her his business card. Reports say as she approached him, she saw that Hoyle had exposed himself. She then went inside and called law enforcement. Hoyle had previously served a prison term in Kansas for a rape conviction; and was further convicted in 2014 in Catawba County for failure to register as a sex offender.

Another name added Friday to Burke County's Most Wanted. 39-year-old Ryan Patrick Denning of Newton is wanted on Felony charges of Breaking & Entering, Larceny After Breaking & Entering alon with Possession of Stolen Goods. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Burke County Sheriff's Office at 828-438-5500 or you can leave an anonymous tip with Morganton-Burke Crime Stoppers at 437-3333.