Cherryville Government

Cherryville Discusses Purchase for Potential Cemetery Expansion

City of Cherryville Work Session, October 27, 2026

City of Cherryville, NC Work Session - October 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2026 6:57 pm

By: Mason Beam - Wise News Network

Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The City of Cherryville met for its regular work session on October 27, 2026. This included several community updates and a discussion of purchasing more land for the Cherryville Memorial Cemetery.

Potential Land Purchase

Off Dalton Street in Cherryville, two pieces of land have become available that abut the Cherryville Memorial Cemetery. The total acreage of these two parcels would be 6.33 acres. It has been discussed previously that the cemetery could use more land. According to City Manager Brian Dalton’s discussion with some of the local funeral homes, it will be nearly a decade before the cemetery is filled. Councilmembers, however, were concerned that, with the land now available, it may be the best time to make a purchase if they are going to do so.

City Manager Brian Dalton explaining his concerns over the purchase - City of Cherryville, NC Work Session - October 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

There are a few issues: the land will need to be graded for use as a cemetery, which will be costly. The city is also unsure whether it is interested in both parcels. They are also currently unsure how many plots could be installed here and what types they would be. Dalton mentioned that Pete Craft believes more and more people will choose cremation, which could mean this land will offer a huge amount of space for graves. Another issue mentioned is that it would take considerable time for the city to recoup the cost through cemetery plot sales, so this would be a long-term investment.

Overall, the sellers are willing to hold on to the land while the city researches some of the questions they had about it. They expect to have an answer in the coming weeks on whether they intend to make the purchase. However, they also requested one additional point of research: whether the land could be used to extend the current Cherryville Fire Department property. As such, they asked Fire Chief Colby Heffner to see whether this was possible.

Retirement of Police Chief Brandon Hunsucker

Police Chief Brandon Hunsucker during the meeting - City of Cherryville, NC Work Session - October 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

The next agenda item was the decommissioning and sale of Police Chief Brandon Hunsucker’s sidearm and badge. Hunsucker has served the Cherryville Police Department for 31 years, which is actually slightly past the typical retirement timeline for officers. He plans to retire in January of 2027, and, as such, the council needed to approve the sale of his weapon and badge by declaring them “surplus property” and selling them to Hunsucker for $1.00, as is tradition in Cherryville.

City Manager's Report and Other Business

Dalton provided an update on the renovations of Cherryville City Hall. He noted that work has begun on the stormwater drainage for the building, but work has slowed due to scheduling interruptions. The parking lot and surrounding sidewalks have also been scheduled to be paved/ redone once the construction equipment for the current projects has been removed. Otherwise, while they have not found a buyer for it, the bill payment kiosk is to be removed from City Hall.

Continuing on, a few sports-based updates were given. The Cherryville Youth Basketball season registration is still open until November 6, 2026. This is for grades K-8, and both boys and girls can participate. It was then brought up that local writer and journalist Richard Walker has published a book documenting Cherryville American Legion Baseball, dating back to 1937. The book is available at City Hall for $25.00.

Mayor Wade Stroupe asking what times that Elm Street will be blocked off - City of Cherryville, NC Work Session - October 27, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

The city announced that Elm Street will be closed from 5 PM to 10 PM on October 31, 2026, for the annual Halloween on Elm Street trick-or-treating event. You can read more about this and other local ways to fill up on candy here.

City Attorney Yansea Taylor also announced her resignation. While she appreciates working with Cherryville, she now runs 6 firms and is a full-time sports mom. This has left her with difficulties continuing in the city position. However, no effective resignation date was provided. You can apply here if you are qualified for the position.

The Highway 150 water line project is also moving forward and awaits approval of the engineering plans. The city hopes to move forward and begin the bidding process shortly. Lastly, they discussed the open house for Cherryville’s new Police Department and expressed their impression of the building. We’ve covered this in full here for those who would like to get a peek inside the new station.