With the bottomed-out real estate market still stagnant, some property owners are having trouble seeing the point of paying property taxes.

When inflated real estate values in the second-home market came back down to earth, the touchdown wasn’t gentle. 

It was more of a crash-landing, and five years later two mountains counties are still sifting through the wreckage.

Some Jackson County commissioners expressed trepidation this week over changing the way the county’s seven volunteer fire departments are funded.

Two Maggie Valley aldermen recently indicated that they have a laundry list of grievances against the town’s mayor, but there is one complaint that stands out among the rest.

Jackson County commissioners signaled support this week to change the way volunteer fire departments are funded, although the plan is not without its critics.

Whether you live in Macon County or Jackson County may depend on which one you ask.

Swain County commissioners last week tentatively agreed to increase the property tax rate by 3 cents to cover a budget deficit — the first property tax increase Swain has seen in more than two decades.

Sylva town leaders have chosen not to raise taxes next year and instead delay town expenditures, save money where they can and dip into reserve funds to shore up the budget.

Four years after Swain County leaders trashed a skewed property reassessment, the county has completed a new revaluation.

Waynesville officials are looking under a different couch cushion for additional revenue after losing income from sweepstakes operations and its ABC store.