The Haywood County Board of Commissioners announced on May 6 that it will hold a public hearing regarding the proposed county budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. The hearing is scheduled for Monday, May 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the Historic Courtroom of the Haywood County Historic Courthouse at 215 North Main Street, Waynesville.
The purpose of this public hearing is to gather input from residents about the upcoming fiscal year’s budget. A copy of the proposed budget has been submitted to the governing board and is available for inspection in several locations, including the Office of the Clerk to the Board at the courthouse, at the Canton branch of Haywood County Public Library, and online through both a dedicated page and a news item on www.haywoodcountync.gov.
County Manager Bryant Morehead is listed as a contact for additional information regarding the budget or public hearing process. Residents who wish to speak during the hearing are encouraged to attend in person. The announcement notes that commissioners may adopt reasonable rules for conducting the hearing, such as limiting individual speaking times, designating spokespeople for groups with similar positions, selecting delegates if attendance exceeds room capacity, and maintaining order during proceedings.
Academic performance data from local schools provides context for ongoing discussions about resource allocation within county budgets. In Haywood County school districts during the 2022-23 school year, among senior students taking ACT exams: 26% were considered college-ready in science and math while just over 42% met readiness benchmarks in reading; among juniors tested that same year: nearly 28% reached college readiness standards in math and science with approximately 41% meeting those standards in reading according to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
The notice was signed by Amy L. Stevens, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners. It will be published Wednesday, May 6 in The Mountaineer newspaper’s Legal Notice section.
