Commissioners - Regular Meeting

OK, good evening everyone. I'm going to call to order the September 21st, 2026 regular meeting of the Haywood County Board of Commissioners. If you would, let's please stand for the pledge if you can, and also for the invocation.

It says, know therefore that the Lord your God

He is God, the faithful God, who keeps his covenant and his faithfulness to a thousand generations for those who love him and keep his commandments. I would invite you to join me in prayer. Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for being faithful to us, Lord, and may we be faithful to the guidance the love, and the commandments that you've given us as his people. And as we conduct the business of the county tonight, Lord, I just pray your hand be upon each and every one of us. Give us clarity of thought, strength of conviction, and articulation of speech so that we may conduct the people's business in only the way that you would have us to conduct it. It is in the name of Jesus that I pray. Amen.

okay we need to move up the discussion adjustment to the agenda to as the next item with it so can i have a motion to move the discussion adjustment of the section of the agenda before the public comment session at this time i'll make that motion mr chairman okay a second i'll say it okay all in favor say aye aye okay all right so next i'm going to do Item number two, under administrative agency reports and presentations, we're going to put that off until next time, which is the medical insurance update. And we'll have that on the agenda in our next meeting.

OK. Is that pretty straight? OK. Got it?

OK. OK. So next is the public hearing.

Can we get a motion for removing that?

Removing?

Oh, OK. Yeah.

OK.

I make the motion that we move, remove item number two from today's agenda.

I'll say.

Okay. All in favor say aye. Aye. Okay. A little bit of housekeeping. Okay. Okay.

I want to recognize the cool show people. Yeah.

That's what I'm going to do next. Okay. Next is public comment session. Did anybody sign up? Okay. No one signed up for public comment. Next will be constituent concerns. I want to mention a couple of things. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge that this upcoming weekend marks the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene. The event had a profound impact on our community and we remain grateful for the resilience, compassion, and hard work shown by our residents, first responders, and staff during our long road to recovery. As we continue to move forward, we honor both the challenges faced and the strength demonstrated throughout our community. Okay, next, I want to mention that the Haywood County Tax Assessor will be conducting a public hearing to be held on Monday, October 19th, 2026 at 5.30 p.m. in this historic courtroom at the Haywood County Courthouse located at 215 North Main Street, Waynesville. The purpose of the hearing is to allow the public to discuss the proposed schedules, standards, and rules, also known as Schedule of Values, to be used in appraising real property in Haywood County for the re-evaluation of real property effective January 1, 2027. North Carolina General Statute 105.317 requires the Schedule of Values to be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners for review in a call for public hearing and that the schedule of values be available for public inspection in the assessor's office and the county manager's office. Okay, so now at this time, I'd like to invite Eddie and Cindy Bryant from the Waynesville Charity Horse Show to come forward. Mr. Chairman. Yes.

If I could interrupt briefly. Okay. A constituent concern. I want to announce, with sadness, the death of my aunt, Sarah Queen Brown, over the weekend on Saturday. Sarah was 104 years old, and they named the Clyde Town Hall after her recently. I think when she passed 100, maybe 101, I'm not sure. They all blur together after 100. Sarah had a special connection to the chair because... I believe it was, if it not the last, one of the last graduating classes of Clyde Township High School, where the chair's mother was... Aunt. Your aunt was... One of the last classes. In the last class, and her little nephew, El Kevin, was the mascot.

Yeah.

for that last graduating class. And we think that we're gonna try to find that photo, if it please the chair, to use at the little memorial service. Her funeral will be a week from Saturday, October the 16th. second or third whatever date that saturday is down at clyde united methodist church in clyde yeah so i thought it was a it's a matter of some constituent concerns there's not many that um just except for relatives and and the chair who remember that's right that's right and she was my mother's teacher oh she taught your mother too she taught my mother and my aunt

And my mother says that Ms. Brown always said that my mother and her sister, which is my aunt, were her best students. So she might have said that to everybody, but that's what she said to my mom. She probably saw a lot of students. Yeah, she did. That's right.

She claimed that she taught half of Haywood County, but that was probably an overstatement. Yeah. Anyway.

Clyde was in the middle of the county, so she probably filtered out from there. Wide open. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you. Sorry if you're lost, Mr. Queen. I know that's quite an accomplishment to be 100 years old. While you were telling about that, I had two centurions die recently in my neck of the woods in the last couple of years, and both of them were public educators. Both of them taught many years in Haywood County Schools, and so there has to be a correlation with longevity and keeping your mind sharp and working.

It's protection from viruses. the there's only uh 351 viruses that can cause the common cold and a public school teacher gets all of them in the first two or three years of their of their practice and then they live basically forever and that was her situation too i hadn't thought about that that's pretty good frank okay well thank you for interrupting me for that i i'm sorry about that so she was a

Very special lady, definitely. Okay, now at this time I'd like to invite Eddie and Cindy Bryant from the Waynesville Charity Horse Show to come forward for a special presentation. And we're pleased to announce that the county has received a generous donation in support of Meals on Wheels and Cheryl McCracken, Human Services Coordinator over Meals on Wheels, as well as Health and Human Services Director Ira Dove are here to accept the donation. So, Cindy, if you'll pull that down, I want you to bring up your folks that were part of this. Okay.

Okay.

We thank you very much for allowing us to do this.

Yes, yes. Everybody, come on up. We're going to take a picture. Okay. This is Ms. Cheryl from Meals on Wheels. I've worked with her several years on this, and she does a great job for us. Ira. And he's also with Meals on Wheels. And we have Jacey with Boots and More, who's one of our best sponsors. And Kathy Palmer, Vicki Reese, David Finger that help us with the horse show, putting on the horse show. And Chuck Ruff with Blossom and Gas, who was one of our biggest sponsors this year.

And I just wanted to say this is the eighth year I think Eddie said that y'all have done this and you want it to be bigger and better every year. In fact this is probably the only horse show in the arena I think at this time. So we're very proud that you kept that tradition going because the Lions Club did that for a long time. And then it kind of, you know, went away. And then I think Wallace passed away, Wallace Messer, and he did that for a while. And then I'm so glad that you all took it over. And you're very, you guys are very involved in the horse show in our area. So thank you for that. So I think they would like to do a picture of all of us up front here, if you all, if the county commissioners...

And I do want to say I'm very, very thankful for the community because they sponsor this. It's just a community effort, a horse industry effort, and we just are so appreciative to everybody that helps us do this.

Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you.

So I do want to announce that they'll be doing it next year. So if you're a corporation or if you're an individual and you'd like to sponsor, be a sponsor for the horse show, the money they raise goes to Meals on Wheels. So it's the community helping the community and we really appreciate all this.

What I'll say, too, if I could, Mr. Chairman, is I know that I speak for Ira and myself for the Meals on Wheels. It's such a great service here in our county. A lot of those folks look forward to those meals, and a lot of it's just being able to talk to somebody, sometimes more than it is the food that they bring. But it is such a great service, and I'm proud to... be somewhat a small part of that. So thank y'all very much. I know the money is going to be used very well.

Especially in a day when it seems like government's cutting a lot of important programs and that being one of them. So thank y'all. You made it up.

Anybody else? Okay.

Does anyone have anything else about the constituent concerns that they want to announce? Okay. Okay, the next item is administration. Let's see. I skipped over that, didn't I? Administrative agency reports and presentations.

No, you're just not getting to it. You're there now. You're there now.

Okay.

Sorry.

Schedule of values. Yeah, schedule of values. Okay. Jimmy Tanner. Sorry, Jimmy. And Levi.

Hey, Levi.

Thank you all for coming out.

I just wanted to take just a moment and introduce to you all Jimmy Tanner from Tanner Valuation Group, who has worked on our schedule of values for us, and he's going to present that to you this time. Thank you.

Hey, good evening. Like you said, I'm Jimmy Tanner. Appreciate the opportunity to come before you all tonight. Tonight is submitting the Schedule of Values for your consideration and adoption. The clerk has been given thumb drives for each one of the commissioners, and she also has been given the official book. These are just copies. The one that she has is the official one. There's a process to go through. You know, next will be a public hearing, and then you'll get back together to actually adopt the schedules. And at that time when they're adopted, there's a page in the schedules that you all actually sign. So that's about it. It's, you know, it's still a working process. You know, market's changing, so we're tracking everything every day. But, you know, this is the big part of a reappraisal. is getting this part done. It's kind of strange that we have to do this now and we do values as of January 1. This has all the rates, but we look at this kind of like being a toolbox. And we've got a lot of tools in here if the market goes up or down that we can make them changes. Even though this locks in rates and things, there's things in there that we can make changes if the market goes up or down. But other than that, that's about it. We will continue working on it. Fun stuff. Is there any questions?

I just want to reiterate that when we do the reval, all values are based on January 1st, 2027.

Right.

When people get those. So even though we're using 2021 at this time, I believe. Right.

The values was the last set at January 1, 2021. It was going to be you know, in 25, but then we had the flooding event, so it was delayed to 27. So this will actually be a six-year reappraisal for Haywood. But all the values will be set as of January 1, 2027.

Correct. Okay. And I know a lot of people, you know, values have kind of held steady since then, I guess, since 20... I feel like in 2022 and 2023, they really spiked, and then they kind of leveled off, so...

Yeah, I mean, you know, we talked to a lot of people, and they say, well, you know, market's kind of flat right now, which it is, but you can't forget them first five years. From the 2021 up through 2025, values was increasing. Right, correct. So there's going to be an increase. It's not going to be scary. But when you look at a six-year period, there's going to be increases. Every property is not going to increase the exact same either. You know, you go back, it's a numbers thing. Somebody's value might have been mis-undervalued last time and is correct and now it will be more of an increase even though it would be right. If somebody's value might have been over-assessed a little bit, it could have a lower value increase. But, you know, they should all be reflective of January 1, 2027 values. Okay, good.

I know I've sold them. I sold a property during that time, and it was twice the tax value. So I can see it. I can see how that, from the 2021 value.

First three, four years after 2021, there was pretty good growth in real estate. It has slowed now. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. We get into the winter months leading into January. We're really tracking that now because that could change a good bit. So we're keeping an eye on that, make sure we try to get it where we're at. We actually took a conservative approach to these schedules, you know, because we did think that, you know, we're already seeing the slowdown in the number of sales. We've seen where some of the values is retracted or the sales amounts retracted. It's not a seller's market anymore. You see a property listed, it stays on the market for a while. You remember two, three, four years ago, If you put a house on the market for $300,000, it sold the next day for $330,000. Them days is not here. So it'll be interesting to see what happens, even between now and the end of the year. So I think it could slip some between now and the end of the year. Yeah, OK.

So you guys are tracking it to that day, pretty much.

Yeah, we track that stuff pretty much. We run sales a lot and track that. And then the taxpayers need to understand, We're human. This is a numbers game. We're probably not going to get everything perfect. I was in a meeting last week with a commissioner in another county, and I told him, I said, you know, I'm smart about a lot of things and maybe not about some things, but I am smart enough to say we're not going to get everything perfect. But that's why we have an appeals process. So, you know, if your values, you don't feel is right, we should even be able to explain to you why it's where it's at. or we can figure out it's probably not right and we can fix it. So it kind of turns in after we send them notices, you know, if there's a problem, we need to figure out what it is and fix it. So that value notice is not to stop all.

So you can fix it, and then, of course, if they're not still satisfied, they can appeal to the ENR board.

Yeah, there's a long appeal process, so plenty of opportunities for a taxpayer to figure it out if something's wrong or not.

Right, right.

Now, the ones that may be on the underside of it, we probably won't hear from them, but, you know. Yeah, that's true.

Well, and two, people need to know that it's not the county doing it, it's the state. And we have to go by the Machinery Act, which is a state statute that tells us how to do the reval and the methods that we can use and how you go about it and how you appeal. So it's not just something that arbitrarily the county does. The only thing we do is assign values based on sales, and those are based on factual data. And it is a mass appraisal, and mass appraisals are just that. So you're gonna have a lot that'll slip through the cracks. But that's just the nature of what we do.

there's there's actually two parts to what you write the state mandates it to be done so it's got to be done and there's also another part that if it's not done and the values are not at market value then the county has to suffer a penalty because they have to pay the utilities a lot of money back so and that flows back to the residential people so i mean it's it's kind of a two two-sided thing you got to get you have to do it And then the values has got to be close to where market value is. If not, you've got to pay that penalty.

That's right. Does anybody got any questions?

No, I'm just glad that you clarified that publicly, Mr. Chairman. I get comments a lot of times about people that doesn't really fully understand the process. And we do have to follow state statutes and state law. And we're not. We follow the law. We don't make it. Yeah. And so I'm glad you guys had that discussion. Yeah.

Yeah. And like I say, everybody's value is not going to go up or react the same, but it's all about equalization. It don't matter where they're at. They need to be about market value at the time we finish the reappraisal. So any other questions? Anything? we we'll be back before y'all when we get down closer to the end we'll come back to you with presentations i know the ones that was here for 2021 you know we'll come back and we'll start giving you a little better picture of not not that we're doing a reappraisal but here's how it's going to look so even before we send the notices you'll have a good opportunity to start seeing pretty much how it's going to be over around different parts of the county so Okay. So more information to come.

Okay. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Jimmy.

Thank you all. Appreciate it.

And I do want to reiterate that the state tells the counties how to collect the tax, the methods that you can use to collect the tax, and they expect the counties to follow their rules and regulations to do all this. sometimes i'll hear people say the county did this and the county did that no the county is following state law and it's stuff that we have to follow if we don't as jimmy said we get into trouble and have to pay fines and you don't want to do that okay okay next will be consent agenda there are um only consent agenda i just wanted to mention there are some large dollar Most of them are HHS, and I was wanting to, if y'all have any questions, I was here to answer those if y'all have any of those questions. But we have 14 items on the consent agenda, and like I say, some of them are rather large, so if anybody has any questions about them, I was here to answer. Most of the bigger items are on the, for HHS. Does anybody have anything? I'll let y'all look over it for a minute. I know y'all have had them for a while, but refresh your memory.

Well, the big ticket items you're talking about are basically just we're voting to accept those funds that are basically passed down to us for the most part. I mean, it's a formality, but it is big numbers. Yeah, yeah.

Did you want to comment on it, Myra, at all? I'm sure you're... Yeah, go ahead.

I'm happy to answer any questions on the big numbers, but there are also a lot of things on here that represent a lot of generosity in the community. We have grants from the Haywood Health Foundation that will help deliver dental services, also some Meals on Wheels money, and we also have on here some grants from the United Way that will help us with Maple Leaf. So just really a thank you for the generosity of the community for some of the items on here.

Okay.

And then the Haywood Health Foundation?

Haywood Health Foundation, United Way, definitely have some grants on here. And then also, there's some funding on here that will, provide a pretty cool program. We used to have people trying to do car seats, and we used to have funding for that. And that went away for a little bit. We'll have that back. So we'll have car seats and the ability to install them. So that's one of the items on here, too.

OK, great.

But some bank use mainly. But if there are any questions, happy to do that as well.

Anything? Okay. All right. Thank you, Ira. I will say the Haywood Health Foundation, just remember that they managed the money that was from the sale of a Haywood County hospital, which is approximately $20 million. And so they used that money for health programs. health programs for the county. And that's why we got this today. So we do want to thank them for their good management of that. And they gave a presentation, I believe, at one of our meetings, either the last one or the one before last. And it was pretty good what all they had donated. They also make the payment on the nursing billing at HCC. So they definitely are fulfilling their duties, if you will.

OK.

Okay, so I'll entertain a motion we approve the 14 items on the consent agenda.

I'll make a motion we approve the 14 items on the consent agenda, Mr. Chairman. Okay, is there a second?

Second.

Okay, any discussion at all? Okay, everybody in favor say aye. Aye. I want to oppose. Okay, that's unanimous. Okay, the only item we have on the regular agenda is to request approval of a budget amendment for HHSA for $636,798 to appropriate fund balance for unspent fiscal year HHSA revenues or grant funding that needs to be rolled forward to fiscal year 27. Go ahead, Christian. Yeah.

It's our annual roll forward of the grant funds and revenues that are designated to HHSA programs, and we just roll those each year. We typically don't spend them all, but we do continue to roll those.

Okay.

Very good.

Anybody got anything?

Okay.

I'll entertain a motion to approve item 1 of the regulatory agenda. I'll make that motion. Okay. Is there a second?

Second.

Okay, any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Okay, that's unanimous. So, have I forgot anything? Okay.

You know, I had one thing on the kind of, we kind of got disemboweled a little bit at constituent concerns, but the Chamber of Commerce had their, a yearly event the other day, and we were privileged to help Willow Hill Soak Company with a piece of property that the county had and their expansion efforts, and it was a collaborative effort between the Chamber of Commerce and the Job Force Development. And as one of those kind of, I was telling somebody the other day, we've had some big wins as a commissioner board here in the last few months, and certainly those economic development and job producing initiatives or two of the bright spots along with, we actually had a ribbon cutting for another EMS base over at the armory after our last meeting. And so we've been able to help with two new EMS bases. We've had those two job initiatives. And at the Chamber of Commerce meeting the other day, Willow Hill Soap Company was given the award for, I guess, best business of the year, some of that sort. But it's good to see local businesses thrive. It's good to be able to help those. certainly do that and then the outdoor training center there was a big collaborative effort between southwest commission the chamber of commerce hcc for jobs trades and those things and it was it was good to be a be able to participate in the outdoor training center that we helped facilitate with some of our funds for economic development we i believe we purchased the property contributed a half a million dollars to help facilitate that. It's going to be a great facility to train linemen. Some of our line workers, they don't have to go off to Caldwell County to that community college there, but it's a great facility. Truck drivers. Truck drivers, linemen, and some of our EMS people But it's just going to be a great benefit to our community and our region, education coupled with jobs, and just a privilege to be able to see some of these things across the finish line. You know, I know, Mr. Chairman, you've been Commissioner Rogers and Mr. Best, but, you know, we're not Chick-fil-A. You know, we get used to the Chick-fil-A society where you snap your fingers and and somebody's giving you your food and saying it's our pleasure. With some of these projects that we do, it takes sometimes years to see those things come to fruition. And to see some of those things come full circle here just within the last couple of months, it's very rewarding and gratifying. And so I would like to say thank you to all our staff and to people that kind of made all these things work. You know, it's the gears inside the gearbox that turn, that make the wheels turn. make everything move forward, so I appreciate all that.

Okay, very good, very good. Appreciate you mentioning that, Tommy. Anybody else have anything? Okay, I got this. This is a thumb drive. I'm not sure.

That's our schedule of values that Jimmy gave us.

did we all get one okay i thought somebody left okay sorry lost and found yeah okay i thought i really had okay okay i'll entertain a motion we adjourn make a motion to adjourn mr chairman is there a second is there a second second okay hold in favor say aye aye okay we're adjourned everybody be safe