Three of five Haywood County commission seats are up for election this year, and at least two will be filled by newcomers.
The county has seen its fair share of hardship over the last several years, beginning with the COVID-19 pandemic that gripped the country beginning in 2020. In August 2021, Tropical Storm Fred caused widespread property damage and littered debris in waterways. The largest employer, Pactiv Evergreen, shut down its Canton paper mill, almost instantly eliminating over a thousand jobs.
Most recently, in September 2024, Haywood was one of a dozen or so counties to bear the brunt of Hurricane Helene’s wrath, which caused about $60 billion in total damage in North Carolina.
There is a sense of urgency to clean up debris, put people in safe housing, and recoup expenses the federal government is obligated to reimburse.
Automated license plate readers (ALPRs), particularly Flock cameras, have become a nationwide issue. ALPRs take photos or videos of drivers on public roads, store them in a database, and can track automobiles. They can be a valuable law enforcement tool, but concerns of misuse and philosophical arguments about privacy have driven the conversation, even locally. Macon County commissioners in July voted to remove Flock cameras operated by their sheriff’s office.
Like other counties across the state, some of Haywood’s farmland has been subdivided and developed. While those developments bolster the housing stock, the prices are often still too high for working-class households.
Many also argue that littering the landscape with cookie-cutter homes compromises Haywood’s economic stability and its agricultural heritage. But solutions are complicated, and farming doesn’t always provide a stable living.
Commissioners have said they want to respect people’s property rights but still want to find incentives that may sway some to hold onto their land. Haywood has established a Working Land Fund, which would cover tax deferments for those who make money farming their land. If it is no longer used in that manner, the deferred balance for the last three years is owed with interest. The fund could also cover administrative costs associated with securing conservation easements for agricultural land. Expansion of this program could be funded through a bond referendum, like the one coming before Henderson County voters next month that seeks to have property owners pay $10.10 per $100,000 in property tax value annually.
The lone incumbent is Republican Tommy Long, who is seeking his third term in office. Joining him from the GOP are David Burnette and Jeff Stines. Democrats fielded two candidates, Carly Pugh and Michael Sorrells, who served as a commissioner from 2010-2018. Also on the ballot are unaffiliated candidates Vicki Hyatt and Blake Harp, who each had to secure nearly 2,000 signatures to appear on the General Election ballot.
Here’s what the candidates had to say about the issues.
Tommy Long
Long is a lifelong farmer from Bethel who has spent most of his career working in local industries. He is about to wrap up his second term as a commissioner and serves as the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners president.
His time on the commission has largely been marked by hardship, and he admitted that much of the board’s work has been “reactive.” This is still true when it comes to the uncertain future of the former mill property and Helene recovery. He said ongoing recovery efforts include repairing and improving infrastructure.
Long feels that Flock cameras are useful and related policy is a law enforcement issue that will be under the new sheriff’s purview.
“Unless somebody can prove to me that there’s gross negligence by the sheriff or gross misconduct, I don’t really want to go there,” he said.
On farmland preservation, Long said he wants to maintain the balance between honoring property rights and community interest through possibly providing incentives like rollback taxes for those who work their land; however, he also thinks that farmland preservation and affordable housing are separate issues, since many of the new developments are likely not even affordable for a large segment of residents.
“I’ll be paying attention to what happens in Henderson County,” he said.
Long considers that he has served during a time when the county has experienced the worst economic and natural disasters in recent memory. He said that experience will serve the county well, and he also wants to do things — hopefully during a more stable period — to advance its interests.
“I’ve got a lot of experience and things I still want to see get done,” he said.
David Burnette
Burnette also raises beef cattle on farmland that has been in his family for generations. He is the president and CEO of Telco Community Credit Union and has served on the Haywood County Board of Education for almost nine years.
He wasn’t planning on running for office until Commissioner Jennifer Best announced she wouldn’t seek reelection. At that point, he said he was encouraged by some community members to seek the position.
Haywood County just weeks ago finished up its last FEMA buyouts from Tropical Storm Fred, and debris from that storm may have worsened flooding from Helene in some areas. Burnette felt that the Fred clean-up wasn’t as effective or efficient as it should have been. He wants to explore options to clear waterways as quickly as possible so that future storms are not as catastrophic.
“I would like to see us make the river deeper, wider, and cleaner so that when it rains, the water goes down the river,” he said.
As a banker, Burnette said he is aware of how valuable cameras are, even in investigating small incidents like a fender bender or petty theft. But he is concerned that “a lot of Flock cameras are used in the wrong way.”
“The cameras should be placed strategically and for the right reasons, and then anybody that abuses the cameras should be held accountable,” he said.
Burnette said he has about 35 acres protected through a farmland preservation program and his mother has about 65. He acknowledged that it’s “hard to survive” as a farmer, so he understands why younger people aren’t eager to work the land they inherit. He echoed a common sentiment people in Haywood hold in saying he doesn’t want to see housing developments and apartment complexes, but he also doesn’t want to limit what people can do with their property.
“I don’t I don’t know what the right answer is, but I do think incentivizing [people] to keep the farm in their family and to keep it going is the right thing,” he said.
Burnette said he believes the current board has done a good job and he’s not looking to “change the world” but that his heart for service can work to the county’s continued benefit.
“When a tough decision comes up, I hope to bring common sense and practical experience to the table,” he said.
Jeff Stines
Stines has been employed by Waynesville’s public works department for about 30 years and has served as the town’s public services director for the last five years. He said that position has afforded him the opportunity to learn about administration, infrastructure management, and budgeting. While he has not held elected office, he has served on the board of directors for North Carolina Rural Water Association, Mountain Credit Union’s board of directors, and the personnel committee for Calvary Road Baptist Church.
Stines acknowledged that the recovery from Hurricane Helene will take at least a few more years. He wants to see that done in a way that usable land can be cleaned up, restored, and added to the tax base.
Leaning on his career in public works, Stines voiced concern that the residential developments popping up around the county may put a strain on water and sewer infrastructure. He doesn’t want to go as far as limiting the freedom of property owners, but he also doesn’t want to do something that will cost the county long-term should that infrastructure begin failing.
“It’s good for the tax base, but you’re not making enough money in taxes to rebuild the infrastructure the way it needs to be built,” he said, adding that he is in favor of county incentives for farmland preservation.
Stines agreed that Flock cameras have been instrumental in cases where time is of the essence. Commissioners hold the sheriff’s office’s purse strings and can therefore remove funding ALPRs from the budget. He said he’s not entirely in favor of keeping the county’s Flock cameras operational and that he wants to listen to input from community members. Either way, Stines said policies should allow for termination and prosecution for any deputies who misuse the technology.
“They shouldn’t be used for anything other than what they’re intended for, and I feel like the county as a whole needs to have their input into the flock cameras, because essentially, they’re the ones that are paid for it,” he said.
Stines added that he wants to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent the way they should be by cutting excess spending and providing accountability.
Michael Sorrells
Sorrells has leaned on his two previous commissioner terms during his 2026 campaign. He said he’s continued to follow key issues in his eight years out of office and that he feels there’s an opportunity for him with two open seats up for grabs.
“I’ve got the experience and felt like I was ready to get back in,” he said.
Sorrells lives and owns a business in the Jonathan Creek area, which was hit hard with flooding during Helene. He wants to push FEMA to release funding where appropriate while also looking for geographical areas where more is help is needed.
He noted that he has “mixed emotions” when it comes to ALPRs. He has numerous cameras at his Jonathan Creek service station he thinks have solved some crimes and deterred others. However, he isn’t comfortable with potential violations of privacy possible through misuse. While he wants to study the issue more to inform his opinion, he is open to keeping them.
“It is something that would potentially benefit law enforcement to keep citizens safe,” he said. “With some rules and regulations to tighten up on stuff I’d possibly want to keep them.”
Sorrells was raised on a farm. Once his grandfather died, that land was split between his mother and uncle. Once they died, those two properties were again split multiple ways. Such is the case for much family land in the county. It isn’t uncommon for at least one benefactor to sell the land they inherit. While Sorrells understands the reality of the situation, he also wants to help people who want to work their land.
He ultimately wants to see the county continue to grow in a way that it can still provide vital services while keeping the tax rate as low as possible.
“I want the least amount of burden on taxpayers … but also what I want is the betterment of Haywood County,” he said.
Carly Pugh
Pugh worked as a teacher and school librarian for almost a decade and is now pursuing a PhD in education at the University of Tennessee geared toward policy and leadership. Like many teachers, she has also held second jobs in the service industry. She was born in Haywood County. Her family moved away for a few years, but she has been back since January 2024. She began considering running for public office as she pondered the “crisis” in the education system.
“When I came home, some personal experiences also led me to become acutely aware of the state of other public services, like how overwhelmed our criminal justice system and our courts are,” she said.
Pugh thinks her life experience will create a more diverse commission where a fresh perspective can lead to fresh solutions.
“I think I’m one of several groups that are underrepresented, being a mother, being an educator, being working class,” she said. “It’s being young, being Democrat. All of those things are underrepresented.”
Pugh has researched various issues over the last eight months to learn about what commissioners do and what should be prioritized. She believes that the shortcomings regarding the Helene recovery haven’t been local failures as much as squabbling in Raleigh and Washington, D.C.
She was an AI fellow with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction last year and believes that expertise lends itself to the Flock camera debate in a unique way, as does her work as a social studies teacher who’s well-versed in privacy rights. Since there has been a demonstrated pattern of misuse of ALPRs across the nation, she is against the use of Flock cameras in the county.
There are several issues rolled into the question of farmland development and affordable housing, Pugh said. Like Stines, she has concerns about strained infrastructure, and she also understands people’s animosity toward the developments made up what she said her grandfather called “ticky tack houses.” But she also realizes that there is a need for housing, and every unit opens the market up a bit more.
Pugh said her three main priorities as a commissioner would be “bringing government to the people” by making everyone, especially parents, welcome to meetings and functions; making everyday life more affordable; and advocating for underrepresented populations, from the elderly to struggling families to our four-legged friends.
“I want to keep as many people and creatures on my mind as possible,” she said. “I think that it’s unique that I’m offering to go out of my way to keep others in mind.”
Vicki Hyatt
Hyatt worked for over two decades as the editor of The Mountaineer and also runs a small cattle farm with her husband. She served in Montana’s House of Representatives in the late 1970s. She says her more recent work in local news brought her inside local government and the greater community in a unique way.
“I feel like I could hit the ground running,” she said.
When discussing ongoing Helene relief efforts, Hyatt recalled attending a six-hour community planning session held at Haywood Community College that focused heavily on rebuilding and enhancing resilience in the wake of the storm. She thought that provided a model for future events that can bring together stakeholders to ensure they aren’t siloed.
“The key is to keep those agencies connected and working together,” she said.
Hyatt believes that if there’s a strong case for a bond referendum to provide rollback tax benefits for those who keep and work farmland, she could be in favor of it, especially since the matter would come before voters in the form of a referendum. Some communities have also created private equity funds to benefit preservation efforts, as seen in Greenville, South Carolina. However, she also averred that while farmland preservation is important, she doesn’t think the connection to housing developments is as strong as some think.
“There are lots of places you can develop that aren’t necessarily places where you could farm … so I don’t think there’s that much of a push and pull,” she said.
Hyatt requested and received the county’s Flock camera contract and has also spoken with Sheriff Bill Wilke about the issue. She thinks that the privacy debate is somewhat of a “red herring,” considering people have already given up so much privacy through our almost ubiquitous use of cell phones and the internet, through which any user can be tracked.
“To single out just Flock cameras seems a little myopic,” she said.
“I’m not saying yea or nay on them,” she added. “I really would like to talk to the incoming sheriff about them.”
As a commissioner, Hyatt said she’d listen to ideas and always dig into details, traits she said she’s picked up over the course of her career in journalism.
“I’m good at asking the hard questions,” she said.
Blake Hart
Hart grew up in Buncombe County. He has lived in Atlanta, the Charlotte area, and even South America, where he taught seminary classes and did mission work, before coming to Haywood five years ago. This is Hart’s first time running for any office, but he said he’s always been civically engaged. He currently serves as the executive director at Haywood Christian Ministry.
He feels as though he’s seen a “gradual decline” in the relationships between elected officials and the people they represent. While he admitted he doesn’t think the issue is severe when it comes to commissioners, he felt like this race represented the best opportunity to become a part of the broader solution.
Hart said one of the main jobs for the commission when it comes to Helene relief is to advocate for FEMA to pay the county what is owed.
“I feel like commissioners can also work on preparedness … making sure initial food relief and rebuilding can happen quicker next time,” he said.
He has serious concerns about Flock cameras since a private company has access to all the data.
“I am 100% against them. I feel like the county needs to cancel its contract with Flock,” he said, adding that he would at least push for greater transparency.
Hart feels that county government should be involved in both farmland preservation and bolstering affordable housing stock. He wants to see not only land conserved but also ways to make farming more economically viable. Like others, he doesn’t believe that the developments recently built in Haywood County offer truly affordable housing that working families can purchase. He also considers that the proliferation of short-term rentals seen during the pandemic has worsened both issues.
“We should have every option on the table, and zoning is one of those options,” he said. “I think the commission needs to be willing to look at all the available ways to rein that in and make sure Haywood County is affordable and we don’t become just a tourist county where locals can’t survive.”
Like Pugh, Hart had three specifics issues he wants to run on — raising the Tourism Development Authority occupancy tax and advocating to use some of that money for projects that will benefit locals, farmland preservation, and making things more affordable. He thinks he’s the right person to help tackle some of these issues but hopes that even if he loses that he can make a difference.
“If anything, I hope my run pushes individuals to ask questions about commissioners while they’re running for office,” he said.