Here’s a check of the latest from WataugaOnline.com.
The Watauga County Board of Commissioners meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Administration Building in Boone. Commissioners will consider setting an Oct. 20 public hearing on the proposed schedule of values for the 2027 countywide property reappraisal, which covers more than 49,000 parcels and takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Staff proposes final adoption Nov. 17, with change-of-value notices mailed in March 2027. The agenda also includes an update on Watauga County Public Library interior improvements, employee health insurance renewals, the appointment of Misty Watson as county finance director, and a recommendation to cancel the Nov. 3 meeting. Public comment is set for 5:35 p.m.
Republican leaders in the General Assembly announced Saturday they will call a special session to bring relief to drivers and farmers, but no date or legislation has been set. Options include temporarily suspending part or all of the state’s 41-cent-per-gallon fuel tax. Monday’s lowest regular price in Watauga County was $3.94 in Blowing Rock, with most Boone stations at $4.05 to $4.08, and local diesel runs $6.18 to $6.25. The statewide average is $4.03, compared with $4.37 nationally, according to AAA. Democrats called the timing, a month before the midterms, election-season politics.
The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has awarded $51.2 million to help protect working farms and forests in 44 counties, including Watauga, Avery, Mitchell and Wilkes. It is the largest single-year investment in the program’s history, funded through $46.9 million in one-time money and $2 million in recurring money in the 2026-27 state budget. Grants go to county governments and nonprofits for agricultural conservation easements, development projects and plans. “Demand for farmland preservation remains high,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said.
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— WataugaOnline