Welcome to Burke County, NC!
"Where the mountains meet the water"
Burke County is located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The neighboring counties include: Avery, McDowell, Rutherford, Cleveland, Lincoln, Catawba and Caldwell. Burke County was founded in 1777 and named after Thomas Burke who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and future governor of North Carolina at the time.
Things to do and visit!
From untouched wilderness to fine arts and antiques, there's a little something for everyone to do in Burke County! Visit the South Mountains State Park or the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area for a weekend of camping, trout-fishing, mountain biking or picnicking. Walk the trails and see the breath-taking mountains. Visit the beautiful Lake James or Lake Rhodhiss for breathing veiws of the "mountains meeting the water" or check out Table Rock, the "most visible symbol in the region." You can take the kids to Martha's Park in Morganton for a day of waterworks and laughs. If you're into theatre and arts, make sure you stop by the City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium or the Old Rock School to see a performance by the Old Colony Players. There's plenty to do for anyone in Burke.
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton, known as one of the nation's top ten places to raise a family (Reader's Digest, 1997), is the county seat of Burke County. This city is run by a Council-Manager for of government. Most of the power lies with the elected City Council. They are responsible for creating city ordinances and setting city policy. The Council hires a City Manager, Bryan Steen, who prepares the cities budget, runs the day-to-day operations of the Council and serves as the Council's chief policy advisor.
Get Involved in County Government
If you want to get involved, you can come to the next Board of Commissioner's meeting held on the third Thursday of every month beginning at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in the Board of Commissioner's Board Room at the County Services building located at 110 North Green Street, Entrance E, Morganton, NC. The Board consists of five members and a Clerk to the Board. Currently, the Chairmen of the Board is Maynard M. Taylor.