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. 

It’s beginning to sound like a broken record — nearly a year after Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, Haywood County government has received only 4% of the money it is owed from the federal government, leaving officials frustrated and taxpayers effectively footing the bill. 

After losing roughly $200 million in valuation due to the closing of the Pactiv Evergreen paper mill and the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene, Haywood County Commissioners will entertain a 2025-26 budget that’s thin as can be. 

Now that it’s been presented to the House Finance Committee, a bill filed by Haywood Republican Rep. Mark Pless that would have essentially abolished the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority looks much different.

Two weeks after an unusual meeting where Commissioner Terry Ramey was told to resign over lies he helped spread about the post-Helene housing situation in Haywood County, the other four commissioners made clear they weren’t in the mood for any more shenanigans — removing one woman from the meeting, refuting more lies and even using a little bit of poetry from a cherished Western North Carolina scribe to keep things on track. 

Editor’s note: this story contains strong language. 

Since his election in 2022, Haywood County Commissioner Terry Ramey has been known for lying — about his delinquent taxes, about his votes, about being assaulted — but this time, his acquiescent appearance in a YouTube video that spread misinformation about the county’s powers to circumvent state law has Ramey’s fellow commissioners receiving death threats and Haywood’s state representative calling for Ramey’s resignation. 

After an extensive, yearslong process featuring dozens of public hearings, presentations and private meetings, Haywood County will finally get its badly-needed jail expansion, even though the final step was marred by threats and misinformation from a familiar face. 

Haywood County Schools has increased the number of people it employs to care for and monitor students’ mental health this year, largely due to increased funding from the county commission that allowed for additional school resource officers. 

Republican Commissioner Terry Ramey should pay his taxes and stop threatening the media for reporting on the issue, according to a rare joint statement issued by the other four Republicans on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners.

Just four years after gaining their first-ever majority on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners, Republicans succeeded in booting the last remaining Democrat, to put the commission at 5-0.