Macon County Manager Warren Cabe presented a budget to county commissioners last week that satisfies their wish to avoid a tax increase, but amid rising costs and ongoing capital improvements, some departments will likely come away with less than they’re hoping for. 

Last year’s budget came in just over $70 million, and this year’s proposal would drop it just a bit to around $68 million, but Cabe noted that he expects grant money to supplement that number as it has in past years. 

Haywood County’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget carries the kind of consequence that will land in every mailbox and on every mortgage statement across the county — a 7-cent property tax increase, pushing the rate from $0.55 to $0.62 per $100 of assessed valuation.

On April 14, the Waynesville Town Council voted 4-1 to annex the Queen’s Farm/Valleywood Farms Phase 2 property into the town limits. As part of the Town of Waynesville, an annexed property receives services, is subject to zoning and other town regulations and pays property taxes. 

I voted to annex Phase 2 of Valleywood Farms, and I want to tell you why. 

Faced with the possibility that state lawmakers could strip away one of their few reliable revenue tools, Haywood County commissioners moved Monday night to draw a line in the sand. 

In a formal resolution adopted April 20, the board voiced opposition to any effort by the North Carolina General Assembly to limit local property tax authority, warning such changes could destabilize county finances and undermine essential services in counties and municipalities. 

An anonymous payment recently applied to decades-old tax bills owed by a sitting Haywood County commissioner presents the appearance of impropriety and may violate campaign finance law and the Board of Commissioners’ ethics policy. 

Substantial questions about the payment remain, but at least one thing is certain — the long drama surrounding Commissioner Terry Ramey’s unpaid taxes is not settled. 

Amid growing financial concerns, Jackson County’s four Republican commissioners have spent the last few years fighting a culture war. On March 3, Primary Election voters will weigh in on their priorities. 

Over the past four budget cycles, Jackson County commissioners have overseen a steady expansion of county government, with the general fund growing from $71.7 million in fiscal year 2021-22 to $106.9 million in 2025-26, an increase of roughly 49% over five years.

Over the past three years, myriad crises both behind and ahead have forced Haywood County commissioners to govern in a constant state of triage. 

That wretched stretch has been defined by overlapping, compounding tests of governance and stamina, from the long tail of a historic storm and waylaid federal reimbursements to the postponement of property reappraisal, budgets tightened by inflation, escalating debates over housing and addiction, mounting requests from schools and human services, uneven tourism revenues and periodic public clashes within the board, all while leaders worked to chart a path forward and keep spotless the county’s stellar financial track record. 

Despite an ever-changing cast of characters cycling through like a revolving door, the Haywood County Tax Collector’s office has come a long way since Maggie Valley Republican Mike Matthews defeated Democratic incumbent David Francis in 2014 by 1.26%. Now, after nearly four years of service, Republican incumbent Sebastian Cothran has decided to seek other opportunities, guaranteeing a fourth change in leadership over the past four elections. 

The Village of Forest Hills, home to about 350 residents, faces an election that will decide who leads the small Jackson County municipality through the next several years of growth and uncertainty.

Macon County’s proposed Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget maintains the current tax rate, even as county revenues are projected to increase slightly. 

“Revenues are slightly higher due to an increase in the taxable value of properties,” said County Manager Warren Cabe in his first ever budget presentation to county commissioners.