MURPHY
County OKs budget plan
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners put its formal stamp of approval on the 2023-24 spending plan.
The millage rate was set at 61 cents per $100 valuation of property listed for taxes as of Jan. 1, 2023, assuming an overall property value in the county of just shy of $4.06 billion.
Separate millage rates were set for the county’s volunteer fire departments, ranging from 3.4 cents for Martins Creek to 6.5 cents for Peachtree. An additional special tax rate of 38 cents was set for the Bear Paw Service District.
MURPHY
Griggs has statement
During the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting on June 26, Commissioner Jan Griggs read from a prepared statement about her continuing issues with the county’s tax assessor.
“On June 5, Cherokee County Tax Assessor Teresa Ricks was afforded the opportunity to reiterate allegations made against me and my husband that were contained in a lawsuit that did not involve us. The allegations that myself and my husband participated in or even had knowledge of any claimed harassment of Mrs. Ricks is unequivocally false and, indeed, ridiculous. I would point out that a district court judge dismissed that lawsuit based on a lack of evidence,” Griggs’ statement reads.
“Upon the advice of the county attorney, I recused myself from participation in the personnel matter. I, in fact, could not be fair and impartial in a matter in which I had been falsely accused.”
Griggs said state personnel confidentiality laws prevented her from speaking to the public on June 5 to address Ricks’ allegations. She said she will make no further comments.
RALEIGH
Local board of elections
The State Board of Elections has unanimously approved temporary rules related to the implementation of the photo ID requirement for voting in North Carolina elections.
Voters will be asked to show photo ID when voting in person and via absentee ballot, starting with this fall’s municipal elections. The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections.
The State Board also appointed four board members – two Democrats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections. In Cherokee County, those board members are:
- Craig Allen and Shelly Debty, Democrats;
- Sandy Solesbee and Charles Hoesch, Republicans.
Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday appointed Gary Kilpatrick as chair of the Cherokee County Board of Elections.
MURPHY
Leaders talk opioid funds
Cherokee County and municipal leaders met briefly on June 26 to discuss opioid settlement money the county is expected to receive over the next two decades from the pharmaceutical industry.
The meeting included all five county commissioners as wells the mayors of Murphy and Andrews. Murphy Mayor Tim Radford said he hopes to “do something large” with the county’s settlement money.
County Manager Randy Wiggins said Cherokee County expects to see more than $5 million paid in installments over the next 18 years. The amount of money paid to the county so far may not be enough for large projects, but could accomplish smaller things.
Commission Chair Cal Stiles said he hopes to find uses for the settlement money that will be sustainable.
The settlement money comes from pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors that played a role in the sharp rise of opioid addictions. The state requires counties and municipalities that receive settlement funds to meet at least annually to receive input.
The June 26 meeting was the first in Cherokee County. Wiggins said there will be many more discussions to come.
MURPHY
Plan board set to meet
The county’s fledgling planning board will hold its first meeting Monday, Aug. 7, after the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting that day.
The board is chaired by County Commissioner Ben Adams, with the remaining commissioners serving as planning board members. Adams said preparations for the first meeting are underway as staff prepares a draft land-use ordinance.
“Making a planning document is huge,” Adams said.
The land-use document is an attempt to restrict more crypto mine facilities from locating in the county without instituting zoning.
MURPHY
Ticket may win cruise
The Rotary Club of Murphy is selling Cruise for CART tickets for $25 each. The winner will receive a four-day, three-night cruise for two on Carnival Cruise Lines with your choice of ports of departure:
- Jacksonville, Fla., to Freeport and Bimini in the Bahamas.
- Port Canaveral, Fla., to Nassau and Freeport in the Bahamas.
- Miami to Key West, Fla., and Cozumel, Mexico.
- Los Angeles to Catalina, Calif., and Ensenada, Mexico.
The voucher must be used before Nov. 8, 2024. The drawing will take place Aug. 1, 2023. For details, visit the Rotary Club of Murphy’s Facebook page.
MURPHY
Art Walk set Friday night
The Valley River Arts Guild will present the Murphy Art Walk from 5-8 p.m. Friday, with dozens of arts and crafts vendors and musicians flocking to downtown to showcase their art, perform music and have a good time.
Everyone is invited to the free event. For details, call 828-360-3038 or visit valleyriverarts.com.
FAIRVIEW
Area lady bags $1M
Anna Maria Bain took a chance on a $30 scratch-off and won a $1 million prize. She bought her lucky Millionaire Maker ticket from One Stop Market on U.S. 70 in Swannanoa.
When Bain arrived at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on June 27, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of $50,000 over 20 years or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $427,509.
Ticket sales from games make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day for education. For details, visit nclottery.com.
MURPHY
Is it safe to swim?
MountainTrue is encouraging the public to use theswimguide.org before heading out onto the water. The nonprofit is home to several rivers in western North Carolina as well as a Western Clean Water Team based in Cherokee County.
Each week between Memorial and Labor Day weekends, MountainTrue’s staff and volunteers collect and analyze water samples from 96 popular recreation spots across western North Carolina and north Georgia.
The Swim Guide lists each testing site as either passing or failing based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria for primary contact of 126 CFU/100 mL. For details, visit Mountaintrue.org.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Public meetings
THIS WEEK
- Cherokee County Tourism Development Authority meets at 2 p.m. Monday in the Murphy Visitors Center, 20 Tennessee St.
- Murphy Town Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday at Murphy Electric Power Board, 5 Wofford St. downtown. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Cherokee County Board of Health meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Cherokee County Health Department, 228 Hilton St. in Murphy.
- Cherokee County NASA (Needs & Advisory) Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bellview Community Center, 270 Old Bellview Road.
- Andrews Board of Aldermen meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St. Live- streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
COMING SOON
- Cherokee County Veteran Forces meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 12, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
- Cherokee County Board of Education meets at 5:30 p.m. Thursday,
July 13, at the Schools of Innovation & Technology in Peachtree. Live-streamed on the Scout’s Facebook page.
- Andrews ABC Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, in the Facilities Building, 85 Fourth St.
- Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, at the Cherokee County Courthouse, 75 Peachtree St. in downtown Murphy.
Compiled by Publisher David Brown and Editor Randy Foster.