The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support among merchants.

The Downtown Sylva Association has dropped the idea of a special downtown property tax due to a lack of support among merchants.

Controversy among downtown Sylva merchants and property owners could either escalate or come to a close this week, depending on what route the Downtown Sylva Association takes at a town board meeting Thursday expected to draw crowds of merchants.

When Howard Alligood heard about a group of Sylva merchants lobbying for a special downtown tax, he got a little suspicious.

Leaders of the Downtown Sylva Association are drumming up support for a special taxing district that would raise money to promote downtown.

Leaders of a downtown Sylva movement are considering downsizing a proposed special taxing district to encompass only the core downtown area.

Downtown Sylva Association members have voted unanimously to hire an executive director, setting the organization up to more actively advocate for the downtown community.

The Downtown Sylva Association will hold a series of public meetings in January to answer questions about a proposed municipal service district tax, DSA president Sheryl Rudd recently told town board members.

Downtown Sylva Association members are doing all the legwork on discussing the creation of a special downtown taxing district. At a point in the near future, however, town of Sylva leaders are going to be forced to take a stand on this issue. We hope they realize the value of such a district to the whole town and move forward with what could be a long-term economic development tool.

By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer

With a quick trip on Main Street in downtown Sylva, it’s easy enough to see the small town as a quaint collection of professional offices, locally owned restaurants, galleries, clothing and specialty shops.

Each business is located in a historically significant building, many of the old brick storefronts still bearing the name of their original owner somewhere up high in the masonry. Dotted with trees and park benches and old style lampposts, Main Street lures tourists for some lunch and an afternoon of shopping. Gaggles of families come from Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida, indicated by the license plates lined up along the street’s two-hour parking.