Canton meeting focuses on accountability, transparency
Canton’s town government and administration have faced incredible challenges over the past three years. Cory Vaillancourt photo
With the eyes of the state, the region and the county on the Town of Canton — flood recovery is approaching its third year and the sting of losing a major employer last June is still fresh — Canton’s governing board took the opportunity to reiterate its core missions of transparency and accountability during a special called meeting on the morning of July 16.
“We have public trust, as the board, and that’s what gives us our legitimacy,” said Alderman Ralph Hamlett. “When we say things as a board, our reputation is on the line. It’s reported in the press. If we lose that legitimacy, then we can’t operate as a board.”
The action comes after town staff, stretched to its limits and still operating out of a temporary modular structure on Ison Street after town hall was destroyed by flooding in 2021, presented the board with a budget amendment to temporarily fund the completion of the highly anticipated all-abilities playground.
Previously, the playground was thought to be fully funded by grants and private donations, however, Canton CFO Natalie Walker said she was recently made aware of $161,874 in additional expenses that hadn’t been included in her budgeting of the $800,000 project.
The budget amendment, passed for the current fiscal year, transfers $120,000 in fund balance to the general fund so crucial deadlines for ordering materials and services aren’t missed.
Walker said the town anticipates a $150,000 unmet needs grant from the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management as well as approximately $50,000 in revenue from the town’s tax return. Those inflows will eventually be used to reimburse fund balance, keeping the project out of taxpayer’s wallets.
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“We’re elected by the people to make these types of decisions and be transparent and to be focused and be vigilant,” Alderwoman Kristina Proctor said. “This is an example of [why] we need to continue that. This is important for us, for transparency, for our citizens to trust us, but also for the resiliency of Canton, and this is a very important project, like Mayor Smathers said. Transitions, as we’re going through right now in the town of Canton, are notoriously difficult, especially for us. That doesn’t mean we can drop the ball.”
Completing the playground has been a priority for the town’s elected leaders; Waynesville is currently home to the only all-abilities playground in the area, and Smathers has been eager to demonstrate progress as the town recovers from the twin tragedies of the past three years.
Another management miscue took place on July 11, when several items that weren’t listed on the town’s agenda for the meeting were heard at the end of the meeting, to the surprise of some.
Although legal and relatively pedestrian — approval of a Community Development Block Grant and the approval of an application for engineering approval of phase two of water treatment plant upgrades — failing to produce a comprehensive, updated agenda prior to a governing board meeting is considered poor form and could lead to unfounded allegations of secrecy.
“I’m going to say this as mayor,” Smathers said. “The process of approving public funding and grants will not happen unless it is published on the agenda when it goes to the public. That is not how we do business.”
