For a town that may only have 300 voters show up to the polls, the mayoral race in Maggie Valley has garnered plenty of interest this election year.

Running unopposed for his second term, Franklin Mayor Bob Scott hopes to continue on his path toward a more open and accessible government while leading the town for the next two years.

Regardless of who emerges victorious from Sylva’s mayoral election, the town will have an experienced face at the center of the table. All three candidates for the seat currently serve as aldermen and hope to guide the town toward a better future as its next mayor.

Jonnie Cure, a challenger in the Waynesville mayor’s race, has a history of liens, unpaid property taxes, foreclosures, small claims and personal bankruptcy over a 20-year span.

Small towns all over the region are in the midst of municipal elections and a majority of them are contested races. New candidates and incumbents have plenty of issues to discuss as they try to manage shrinking budgets, improve aging infrastructure and position themselves for positive future growth. As early voting starts Thursday, Oct. 22, residents are urged to inform themselves about the issues and vote for the candidates they think will do what is in the best interest of the taxpayers.

Waynesville Mayor Gavin Brown has the public endorsement of six out of the seven alderman candidates running for the town board this fall.

An explosion of campaign signs so large they could pass for miniature billboards cropped up seemingly overnight in Waynesville last week, creating a tizzy over what’s legal and what’s tasteful.

Waynesville candidates running for the town board and mayor got an audience with the business community last week at the monthly Issues and Eggs breakfast hosted by the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce.

A month after the sudden death of Maggie Valley Mayor Ron DeSimone, longtime alderwoman Saralyn Price has decided to seek the mayor’s seat as a write-in candidate in the fall election.

The mood was somber at Maggie Valley town hall last Wednesday as Alderwoman Saralyn Price called a special board meeting to order.