Records Fight Boils Over as Swain Faces Deficit, Data Center Questions
Board of County Commissioners • Swain CountyAugust 4, 2026
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A resident's months-long wait for public records turned into the longest exchange of Swain County's Aug. 4, 2026, commissioners meeting. County Manager Thomas Dills responded with a heavy request load, past redaction mistakes and a pledge to post spending lists online. Commissioners also grilled the sheriff over a Myrtle Beach conference bill and heard that the region's only operating data center pays far less in tax than its size suggests.
Records showdown: Resident says requests dating to February have gone unanswered. The county reports 82 requests since June 1, 2025.
Sheriff's conference trip tops $6,300 and is still climbing. A commissioner calls it a "family vacation" and demands an itemized bill.
Budget alarm: A commissioner says the newly passed budget runs more than $2M over revenue.
Data center tax gap: The nearby Marble facility pays $90,619 a year and self-reports just $8,108 in business property.
Regulatory holes: The state won't restrict high-impact wells, and Bryson City falls outside the county moratorium.
Public commenter Courtney Deals came to the public forum with a copy of North Carolina's public records law and one question.
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