City of Albemarle is the County Seat of Stanly County, covering 15 square miles and with a population of 16,197. Incorporated in 1857, the City is named for George Monck, the Duke of Albemarle, one of eight Lords Proprietors granted the province of Carolina in 1663 by King Charles II. The City’s growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was powered by large textile mills. Albemarle remained largely a textile town till 1980’s and 1990’s when the community’s economy became more diversified.

Governance: The City is governed by the mayor and seven city council members. Four city councilmembers are elected in districts, and three members elected at large. The mayor is elected to a two-year term and councilmembers serve four-year staggered terms.

Administration: The City is administered by the City Manager who is appointed by the city council and is responsible for all City operations. The City is organized into 12 departments: Police, Fire, Public Utilities, Public Works, Public Housing, Engineering, Planning/Community Development, Parks & Recreation, Finance, Human Resources, Information Services, and Administration.

Recreation: The City’s Parks & Recreation Department operates four major parks, a community center, and a large number of programs. These facilities include two swimming pools, several tennis courts, soccer complex, gymnasium, three ball fields, several playgrounds, and other amenities. The City is developing a greenway system that will connect all areas of the City.

Neighborhoods: The City boasts beautiful neighborhoods with an abundance of affordable homes. Several new subdivisions are scheduled for development in the near future, adding to City’s housing choices.

Utilities: The City’s electric-distribution system was created in 1910 and currently serves over 11,000 customers. The City operates a large water and sewer system that includes two water plants and one wastewater treatment plant. The water plants have a combined capacity of 16.5 MGD, with approximately fifty percent of this capacity available for future growth. The wastewater treatment plant is operating at approximately 50 percent of its 16 MGD capacity, and can be modified to increase capacity.

Landfill: The City owns and operates a modern Subtitle-D lined landfill with capacity for more than 20 years of future disposal. As part of this operation, the City provides a recycling program for tires, appliances, and yard waste, as well as a construction and demolition landfill for items not requiring disposal in a lined landfill.

Public Safety: The City’s Fire Department has three stations and a staff of 42. The Fire Department operates an emergency medical first-responder program and is equipped with the latest firefighting technology, including infrared imaging. The City’s Police Department is comprised of 53 members. The police department earned national accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), the 14th agency in the nation to do so. The department is committed to community policing with three satellite offices in addition to the main office.

Downtown Revitalization: Albemarle is undertaking a vibrant downtown revitalization. Several historic-preservation and adaptive-reuse projects have been completed. Several more revitalization projects are planned.