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.

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.

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. 

Haywood County commissioners are being accused of partisan politics for upping the liability bond for the county tax collector, although commissioners say it’s just a safeguard given the limited experience and less-than-stellar financial record of the incoming tax collector.

Critics say the Democratic commissioners are just trying to shut down the newly elected Republican tax collector Mike Matthews by setting his bond too high.

The newly elected tax collector in Haywood County was unable to take office Monday as scheduled after failing to secure a $410,000 bond.

For now, the long-time tax collector David Francis will continue in the role on an interim basis.

The clock is ticking for the newly elected tax collector in Haywood County to get bonded before his first day on the job next week.

After an upset by a narrow margin in the tax collector’s race this month, Mike Matthews is supposed to be sworn in on Monday, Dec. 1. But he can’t take office until he secures a personal liability bond — an insurance policy of sorts that covers mistakes or wrongdoing by an employee who handles money.

The long-time tax collector in Haywood County was narrowly defeated in the November election, a surprise upset that has sent county leaders into a tailspin the past two weeks.

Haywood County commissioners fear the newly elected tax collector — who has no experience, no training and few qualifications for the position — won’t have any idea what he’s doing or how to do it when he assumes the job in just two weeks.

In a narrow upset in the Haywood County Tax Collector race last week, voters elected a man with a history of delinquent property tax bills and little experience for the job.

A new tax collector has been elected in Haywood County, but when he takes office next month his duties will be substantially less than the outgoing tax collector.