Jackson County commissioners may tap the county’s robust savings to build a $5 million recreation center in Cashiers.

The rec center has been years in the making, with the previous board of commissioners chipping away at site preparation, planning and design.

County Manager Chuck Wooten told the current commissioners they could move ahead with construction thanks to healthy county savings.

“Even by taking $5 million out of our fund balance we are still in really good shape financially. It would not impact the county negatively at all. We still have a very generous reserve,” said Wooten, who took over as the new county manager in January along with a new slate of commissioners.

Commissioner Mark Jones, who lives in Cashiers, said he would support using the fund balance to build the long-promised Cashiers rec center.

“I think after five years it is time to take this off the shelf,” Commissioner Charles Elders added.