Commissioners appoint community members to dam-control panel, review Family Resource board and discuss state property-tax exemption bill

Swain County commissioners on March 18 appointed five community members to a dam-control-orders committee, discussed filling a commissioner seat on the Family Resource (core) board and reviewed a statewide proposal that county leaders said they oppose.

The board discussed the composition of the new dam-control-orders panel, which the county expects to include five community members, one sheriff’s office representative, a health-department representative and a legal representative. Commissioners nominated several applicants and then voted to accept five community members; the board said it would reach out to the sheriff and health department to identify their designees and continue work on selecting a legal representative. The board noted many applicants were county employees and asked staff to confirm conflicts or suitability.

Separately, the board discussed the core board (a Family Resource program board that manages local nonprofit grant distributions tied to a community light show and other events) and said it needs a commissioner to serve in the place of a prior commissioner who had been the board’s representative.

Under new business, the board reviewed an email from Kevin Leonard of the Association of County Commissioners about a state bill that would expand property-tax exemptions. Commissioners expressed opposition to the proposal on grounds it could reduce county revenue and shift costs to local governments; staff said a template letter of opposition was available and that county officials would prepare a response to state legislators if the board wished to sign it.