Waynesville incumbents look to steady recovery
Still facing millions in damages from Hurricane Helene, Waynesville continues to move forward.
File photo
Waynesville isn’t just another mountain town still recovering from Hurricane Helene — it’s Haywood County’s economic, cultural and governmental hub. Nearly everything that happens in the largest municipality in the state’s western seven counties has ripple effects beyond its borders, from disaster recovery and infrastructure planning to affordable housing and fiscal stability.
Two incumbents, Anthony Sutton and Julia Freeman, are seeking reelection to the Waynesville Town Council, which oversees a town of about 10,000 people and a roughly $40 million annual budget.
If it seems like Freeman and Sutton were just re-elected, well, they were — two years ago, as council finally set up staggered terms to prevent wholesale changes on the board. Previously, all four council members and the mayor ran for election at the same time, but with the short two-year terms nearing their end, the board is now set for staggered four-year terms. Seats held by council members Jon Feichter, Chuck Dickson and Mayor Gary Caldwell will be up again in 2027.
A third candidate seeking a seat declined to be interviewed after requesting questions in advance. Questions are not provided in advance to any candidate. Voters may choose any two candidates.
Sutton was born in Asheville, raised in Leicester and Waynesville and attended college overseas before finishing in the United States. He’s spent 26 years with Biltmore Farms, where he worked his way up from the front desk of a hotel to director of information systems. His public service record is extensive — former treasurer for REACH, chair of the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, chair of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization and years of service on Waynesville’s planning board before winning election to council.
Freeman’s experience is just as extensive. Born and raised in Waynesville, she spent 32 years leading REACH of Haywood County, a nonprofit that serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. She is a trustee for the Haywood Healthcare Foundation, holds a bachelor’s degree in design with a minor in architectural history from the University of Tennessee and a nonprofit management certificate from Duke University. Freeman was first elected to the board in 2011 and has built a reputation as a practical yet persistent advocate for fiscal restraint.
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For both Sutton and Freeman, this campaign comes at a defining moment. Waynesville’s infrastructure, economy and people are still recovering from Helene’s destruction, even as the town plans for the next decade of growth. Sutton said his approach remains rooted in long-term planning rather than quick fixes.
“We’ve got a five-year capital improvement plan and a 10-year plan, and that’s how we make sure we’re not just fixing what’s broken today but investing for the future,” he said.
Freeman said the same sense of planning guided the board’s decisions on utilities and public works.
“Well, definitely, our major focus was on the rehabilitation and redoing of the wastewater treatment plant,” she said. “That was a huge focus. We’ve been working with our infrastructure throughout the town, seeing what we can do to improve what services we’re offering the community and what we can do to push forward.”
That wastewater plant, delayed for quite some time, will finally open in the coming months, flushing a development moratorium that has stifled growth. Both candidates called it one of the town’s most critical projects not just for Waynesville, but for its neighbors who depend on shared water and sewer capacity. To Sutton, the project represents what he sees as Waynesville’s core strength — the ability to think regionally and act locally.
“It’s been a huge challenge,” Freeman said. “But I will say that the town staff from public works all the way to administration, their dedication and finding funding — that’s the biggest impact. They’ve worked diligently to make this become a reality, and hopefully by December, we’ll have that ribbon cutting.”
Hurricane Helene tested that resiliency. Floods tore through town facilities, damaged streets and destroyed parts of the finance department, delaying major projects and draining reserves. Waynesville learned the hard way how dependent local governments are on federal bureaucracy.
“The local FEMA people have been fantastic to work with, but their authority only goes so far,” Sutton said. “I feel more confident that we’re going to start getting reimbursements after going to Washington, D.C. and actually speaking to FEMA [last month ]. At FEMA headquarters, they understand the frustrations, but they’re governed by rules and regulations that they can’t override, so I think it’s going to require changing FEMA fundamentally to help alleviate some of those roadblocks.”
Frustration has become a way of life for local governments trying to recover, according to Freeman.
“It’s been very difficult,” she said. “And I commend our administrative staff in Waynesville. They have beat down every door. They’re begging for us to get some relief here. We look at the Frog Level bridge that had to get done. We’ve received no reimbursement for that.”
Damage to the bridge put it out of commission for months, and in the context of NCDOT work all around the county, commuters desperately wanted the bridge to reopen; the town came out-of-pocket to complete the project because it simply couldn’t wait for FEMA to OK the work. Federal red tape, Freeman said, has left towns like Waynesville paying upfront for work FEMA should have reimbursed months ago.
“One department tells you something, the other department tells you something else, and it goes back and forth,” she said. “But one thing someone once told me is, relentless, gentle pressure is the way to get things done. You never, never give up. Keep asking, keep pounding, and hopefully we’ll get that [$380,000] back.”
Despite that, both candidates said they were proud that the town avoided raising property taxes this year.
“We didn’t put a tax increase on the citizens of Waynesville,” Freeman said. “We’ve relied on our fund balance, which isn’t what we wanted to do, but we did it to make things right and help people move forward.”
Fiscal restraint has been a constant theme in Waynesville politics. Sutton said his philosophy is simple — commit to projects early, pay as you go and avoid debt whenever possible. That conversation looms large as the town considers replacing its aging ladder truck — now more than two decades old — and completing a long-planned second fire station in Hazelwood.
“The longer we wait, the more expensive it’s going to be, so [let’s] lock in a price now and figure out how to pay for it,” he said. “Today, it’s $3 million. As we know with inflation, next year, it may be four.”
Freeman said she shares that philosophy but prefers to see local, state and federal collaboration before committing to large purchases, like the new fire station.
“If we don’t get on this, we’ll start to get dinged by the Insurance Commission, which means our taxpayers’ [fire] insurance rates will go up,” she said. “I’m always kind of in the mindset that you need to have the money in hand before you order something. It’s not a ‘buy now, pay later’ thing for me. I’d rather us see what we can get from Raleigh or Washington, because the need is there and the justification is there.”
Sutton said the fire department’s needs underscore the importance of long-term budgeting and professional management.
Both candidates also spoke about affordable housing and how development might look once the moratorium is lifted.
“I think it’s going to be slow and manageable,” Freeman said. “We’re talking about sustainability and with that comes the fact that we can’t infringe on people’s property rights — nor should we — and if something is already zoned that can take on a new development, we can’t just shut it down. But the biggest demand we’ve got is affordable housing, and that’s going to be our focus.”
Sutton said affordable housing isn’t just a planning issue — it’s an economic one, when workers can’t afford to live in the communities they serve.
As Waynesville grows, both incumbents said collaboration will continue to define their leadership. Sutton said his relationships with state and federal officials — from Rep. Mark Pless to Congressman Chuck Edwards — have helped keep the town visible in Raleigh and Washington. Freeman said those relationships also depend on credibility built over time.
Sutton said that steady leadership is what Waynesville needs most in uncertain times. Freeman said her motivation hasn’t changed either.
“We are on the right track,” she said. “We’re seeing the finish line in front of us to get this knocked out, and hopefully, we can move forward.”
With recovery unfinished and growth on the horizon, Waynesville’s voters face a choice between continuity and change. For Sutton and Freeman, the campaign isn’t about politics as much as persistence — keeping the town moving forward, one project and one challenge at a time.
