Public comment session at next commission meeting
The next meeting of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20, inside the Historic Courtroom of the Haywood County Courthouse, in Waynesville.
Unfair collection practices in tax collector’s office?
A Smoky Mountain News inquiry into collection procedures in the Haywood County tax collector’s office shows that some county GOP leaders are not being aggressively pursued for payment.
Comparing tax collections under Francis, Matthews
Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews’ efficiency and his use of attachments to collect past due taxes have been called into question recently by county commissioners.
Haywood looks to turn tax collector into appointed position
Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews has been a lightning rod for controversy since before he narrowly defeated veteran incumbent David Francis in the 2014 election.
Tax collector arrested for missing court date
Haywood County Tax Collector Mike Matthews, 36, was arrested Wednesday night after failing to appear in court Oct. 20 to face charges for driving without a license and insurance.
Haywood commissioners vexed by attendance record of tax collector
Haywood County commissioners expressed concern this week over what they claim is poor work attendance of the county tax collector, Mike Matthews.
Haywood’s old and new tax collectors settle into new roles
When Haywood County’s long-time tax collector David Francis was narrowly ousted by a younger, inexperienced opponent in last fall’s election, county commissioners decided to keep Francis around anyway as a mentor for his successor Mike Matthews.
Former, current tax collectors build rapport
The outgoing and incoming tax collectors in Haywood County appeared shoulder to shoulder at the podium of the Haywood County commissioner meeting this week, pledging to work together to make the transition a smooth one.
“There’s a lot of animosity out there that has been created by other individuals, and not you two at all. I appreciate you being able to get over that,” Commissioner Kirk Kirkpatrick told them.
Haywood’s tax collector roller coaster is over
The newly elected Haywood County Tax Collector took office Monday, one week later than scheduled after encountering a delay in securing a professional liability bond.
Mike Matthews, a Republican, was a longshot candidate, yet pulled out a narrow win in the fall election for tax collector. Haywood is the only county in the state with an elected tax collector, which was once the norm.
New Haywood tax collector sidelined after hitting a bond snag
The newly elected tax collector in Haywood County has been benched indefinitely.
Mike Matthews was supposed to take office Monday, but his swearing in ceremony was canceled at the 11th hour. Matthews wasn’t able to get bonded at the amount stipulated by county commissioners — namely a $410,000 professional liability bond.
