Sylva election navigates division and growth
Downtown Sylva’s Main Street remains the heart of a community wrestling with growth, division and questions about its identity.
Cory Vaillancourt photo
Sylva voters faced a crowded ballot and a divided community, weighing seven candidates for three council seats amid ongoing cultural battles and financial strain.
While the small Jackson County seat continues to wrestle with growth, redevelopment and budget limits, debates over the Fontana Regional Library withdrawal and the town’s annual Pride parade revealed deeper tensions shaping local politics.
In one race, incumbent Joe Waldrum faced challengers Taylor Armstrong, Calvin Autrey and Sam McGuire. McGuire led the ticket with 307 votes. Waldrum finished second with 241 votes, enough to retain his seat. Autrey and Horne finished a distant third and fourth with 111 and 109 votes, respectively. Brooklyn Joan Brownie finished fifth at 34.
Another separate council race pitted incumbent Jon Brown against Perry Matthews.
Matthews, in perhaps the upset of the night thus far, defeated Brown 267-158. A restaurant manager and culinary instructor highlighting small-business growth and community unity, Matthews differed from Brown in fundamental ways, perhaps most notably on his pro-Pride parade position.
Across the races, candidates split sharply on how Sylva should handle social issues and public spending. Some framed the library dispute as government overreach and called for caution in cultural matters, while others viewed the town’s resolution supporting the Fontana Regional Library as a stand for inclusion and intellectual freedom. The Pride parade drew similar fault lines, with some calling it divisive and others describing it as an economic and community asset.
Related Items
Poetry reading at City Lights
Western North Carolina voters look to move forward
Kirkland sworn in, transparency questions remain
Honor our heritage, protect our libraries
Fiscal pressure from Jackson County’s property tax increase also loomed large. Candidates acknowledged the strain on residents while offering differing remedies, from strict spending control to better communication about where tax dollars go. Redevelopment along U.S. 107 and the future of the town’s Community Care policing program added further complexity to an already polarized environment.
Mayor Johnnie Phillips ran unopposed and will return for a second term. In 2023, Phillips defeated Natalie Newman by a total of 259-178. That same year, six candidates sought three seats. Brad Waldrop led that council ticket with 246 votes, with two other candidates each earning 210 votes to win seats on council.
Results are considered unofficial until county boards of elections certify them on Nov. 14, 2025.
