Haywood County leaders are proceeding in faith and looking ahead to the future of the town left with more questions than answers after its largest industry announced it was closing down. Building the “hometown of tomorrow” is the focus of Haywood County commissioners, now more than ever, as they continue working to rejuvenate an economy weakened by the August 2021 flooding that devastated parts of the county, and recent news of the Canton mill closure, the towns major revenue producer. During their meeting Monday commissioners focused on recovery, with topics ranging from a $13 million federal grant for affordable housing and rebuilding better, to the potential layoff of teachers, after a financial “tsaumi” due to rising costs and reduced enrollment. The school system is facing a possible $2 million budget shortfall.
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