Sylva welcomes new town board member
Barbara Hamilton participated in her first Sylva Town Board meeting last week after being newly appointed to fill the vacated seat of Stacy Knotts, who resigned to move with her husband to South Carolina.
Hamilton was one of three candidates who applied for the vacant seat and was unanimously appointed by other town board members earlier this month.
In summary, Hamilton said her first meeting was a short one, as have been many of the meetings she sat in on this past summer building up to the appointment, but she said she is excited for the chance to make big decisions for the town.
However, her first priority is to learn the basics of the town government, its issues and dynamics, she said.
“I can’t say exactly what I’d like to accomplish because I’m so new,” Hamilton said. “Anything new like this is a learning experience when you first get in and you’re feeling your way along.”
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Nevertheless, she said she is interested enough in the town’s affairs that she would consider a run for the position next November when her term limit expires.
Speaking generally, Hamilton said she would like to focus on boosting Sylva’s economy and preserving clean air and clean water – a cause she said she would champion in part for the sake of her grandchildren.
Hamilton is a 68-year-old retired registered nurse. She has been a resident of Sylva with her family since 1971. Politically she was active in the Jackson County Democratic Party as the organization’s treasurer and one of its executive committee officers.
