The Southern Highland Reader

SYLVA–Sylva town leaders, in a unanimous vote, have named former Economic Development Commission board member Chris Matheson to fill an empty seat on their board.

The vote at Thursday’s meeting filled the seat vacated by newly-elected mayor Maurice Moody.

The naming of Moody’s replacement had been the focus of speculation, because on the frequently ideologically divided board Moody often provided the “swing” vote.

Thursday night’s proceeding before a packed house was the final meeting for Sylva’s longtime mayor, Brenda Oliver. Oliver has served as mayor since 1991, and was a town board member for a decade prior to that.

The meeting was also the last for board member Harold Hensley, who was unseated in recent elections. Hensley was replaced by Danny Allen, a previous board member who won re-election. Also sworn in was incumbent Stacy Knotts. Knotts and Allen were the top vote-getters among five candidates for two seats on the board.

Some, including the newspaper The Sylva Herald, had argued that Hensley, as the third-highest vote-getter in the November elections, should’ve been appointed to fill Moody’s seat.

Coverage from the Smoky Mountain News here.

Coverage from the Sylva Herald here. (Link expires in one week)

SYLVA–Incumbent town commissioner Stacy Knotts and challenger Danny Allen were the top vote-getters among five candidates for Sylva town board in elections held Tuesday.

Turnout was light, at 18% of 2,728 registered voters.

Allen, who previously sat on the board before being unseated by the narrowest possible margin two years ago, regained his seat by tying Knotts, 121-121, while incumbent Harold Hensley finished third with 111 votes. First-time candidates David Kelley and Ellerna Bryson Forney finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Terms for Sylva board members are staggered – current members Sarah Graham and Ray Lewis will not stand for re-election until 2011.

Board member Maurice Moody ran unopposed to replace longtime mayor Brenda Oliver. The board will appoint a replacement to his seat when he is sworn in as mayor in December.

SYLVA–Brenda Oliver, mayor of Sylva for 17 years, will not run for re-election in November.

Oliver, who has served in leadership roles in Sylva for 28 years, made the announcement at last Thursday’s town board meeting.

Meanwhile, Maurice Moody, a Sylva native with over ten years’ experience on the town board, made official his candidacy for mayor when he filed for election on Monday.

Oliver, who is actively involved in state and national municipal organizations, has been widely considered a progressive influence in mountain municipal leadership.

Moody, who often provides the swing vote on the five member board, would lose that vote as mayor. If he were to win the election, the board would appoint his replacement. A Sylva native whose career took him to south Georgia, but who retired to Sylva, Moody has been active in his support of downtown revitalization and an advocate for younger citizens’ participation in government. He votes on the “progressive” side of many issues, but takes a conservative stance on land use planning issues.

His was one of three votes, for example, that scuttled plans for a high-density development off Yellowbird Branch last year.

Two seats on the town board are up for re-election, and four candidates have filed: incumbents Stacy Knotts and Harold Hensley, downtown merchant David Kelley and previous board member Danny Allen.