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.