It was revealed during an Aug. 4 Swain Commission meeting that Sheriff Brian Kirkland invited three deputies and their families on a five-night trip to Myrtle Beach to attend a conference — almost completely on the county’s dime. The event in question appears to be the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association 2026 Annual Business Conference, held from Friday, July 24, to Tuesday, July 28. A frustrated Commissioner David Loftis directly questioned Kirkland about the cost and program details, explaining that in a county so financially stretched as Swain, spending should be more conservative.
“We just placed a budget that’s over $2 million more than this county brings in, and I’m sitting here discussing stuff like a family vacation at our taxpayers’ expense,” he said.
While Kirkland insisted he paid for his family’s food himself, it’s unclear whether other deputies did the same — and if the county funded other non-personnel expenses.
