Haywood County sheriff candidates debate jail staffing, jail expansion and constitutional policing

At a Mountaineer-hosted candidate forum, Haywood County incumbent Sheriff Bill Wilkie and challenger Mark Meese outlined contrasting approaches to a county jail expansion, staffing and civil-liberties questions ahead of the March 3 Republican primary.

Wilkie highlighted outcomes from his three years in office, saying the department “will have a total of 264 beds available” when the expansion comes online and pointing to what he described as operational improvements under his leadership: “a 40% reduction in total reported larcenies” and “a 17% improvement in response times.” He said the county’s radio infrastructure needs a multi-year upgrade and described reintegration and de‑escalation training as priorities.

Meese, a 21‑year veteran of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, said the new facility adds about 150 beds and stressed recruiting and retention measures: “you should look for people that want to work in detention, but give them the benefits, give them career ladders, give them incentive to work there.” He framed detention work around empathy and programs to reduce recidivism.

On the role of a "constitutional sheriff," Wilkie said the office must protect due process and individual rights, noting use of body‑worn cameras and rules about releasing footage: “I wish I could make them more public. The law prevents me from doing that without a superior court order.” Meese echoed the commitment to constitutional protections while saying the sheriff should also assist lawful federal partners when appropriate.

The two disagreed on workforce statistics and how those numbers are produced. Meese urged fact‑checking of reported reductions and later cited payroll figures in a rebuttal, saying Wilkie’s office had “spent $254,000 in overtime.” Wilkie defended the department’s staffing record, saying current vacancies are far lower and attributing past departures to a change toward merit‑based promotions.

Both candidates said staffing the expanded jail will require competitive pay, training and short‑term reliance on temporary help from other counties. Wilkie noted an option the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association sometimes provides for temporary detention officers.

The forum closed with each candidate reiterating priorities for transparency and leadership as voters weigh who will run the sheriff’s office responsible for operating the new facility.