Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Feb. 18 edition
The primary focus of discussion at the Feb. 12 meeting of Sylva’s town board was the future of the Jackson County Public Library complex, where a longtime volunteer asked town officials to help keep the Courthouse and library together under one lease.
Antoinette MacWatt, who has volunteered with the Friends of the Library bookstore for more than 23 years, told the board she was concerned about recent comments from county officials regarding the lease between the county and the library complex.
The courthouse and library complex, located within the town limits of Sylva, is owned by Jackson County. MacWatt said comments made by county leaders about the lease raised concerns among longtime donors and supporters that the courthouse and library could potentially be separated in the future.
“The fear among those of us who were here and working at that time to make it happen is that there would be some sort of severance – or that the renovated courthouse and the library would become some sort of separate entities,” said MacWatt. “Which is not what every penny went to build.”
MacWatt asked the board to consider taking action, whether through a resolution or direct communication with county commissioners, to express support for renewing the lease in a way that keeps the complex intact.
Mayor Johnny Phillips agreed that the purpose for which the complex was built should remain intact. Board members discussed potentially placing the matter on a future agenda for further consideration.
History: Use and funding
MacWatt emphasized that the Community Room in the renovated courthouse remains one of the only large public gathering spaces available in town. In 2025, rooms in the complex were booked more than 650 times by various organizations, she said.
In other businesses, the board approved a financing resolution for the purchase of a new fire department pumper truck, along with a financing resolution related to the purchase.
Members also approved alcohol permits for Greening Up the Mountains, Sylva’s annual spring street festival, and for the Concerts on the Creek summer music series.
Town Manager Paige Dowling said she recently attended the North Carolina City and County Management Association conference in Winston-Salem, where sessions focused on artificial intelligence in local government and intergovernmental collaboration. She also notes upcoming regional meetings, including a March 10 joint session with Jackson County officials to discuss the fire and EMS public safety tax.
