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Is Cashiers ABC store a sure bet? Sylva weighs whether to cast its lot with county’s new liquor store endeavors BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER s Jackson County officials craft plans to open a liquor store in Cashiers, possibly as soon this summer, they must first determine whether the town of Sylva is in or out. On one hand, a Cashiers store could hurt Sylva’s profits on its own liquor store — currently the only Alcoholic Beverage Control operation in the county. But if Sylva joins forces with the county, it could share in profits from the Cashiers store, should it prove successful. Currently, Sylva splits the profits of its own store with the county — so presumably the county would share some of its profits from a Cashiers store with Sylva, but exactly what the profit sharing percentage would look like has yet to be broached. Either way, the county commissioners have signaled they plan to form a Jackson County ABC board — the prerequisite to opening an
Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2013
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ABC store — by early March. “It’s fair to say we will have a board,” said County Manager Chuck Wooten. “There’s enough of a feeling among commissioners that a store is wanted in the Cashiers area, and the only way to get that is to have countywide board.” Whether that board is a cooperative board with Sylva, or the county’s own board, is to be determined. At the heart of Sylva’s conundrum is how much business a Cashiers store would steal away. Clearly, some liquor sales would simply be shifted from the Sylva store to a Cashiers store — resulting in no new revenue for either the county or town. As much as $300,000 in sales at the Sylva store comes from restaurants, bars and country clubs in Cashiers, which would shift to the new Cashiers store. To truly offset the overhead and operations of a second store, a Cashiers operation would have to pick up brand-new business — not just stealing Sylva’s sales — to make it a win-win. And that means attracting customers who otherwise get their liquor from somewhere else, such as Highlands in Macon County, said Mark Jones, the county commissioner representing Cashiers. Jones is even guilty himself of popping across county lines to Highlands’ liquor store. He is not alone. Jackson County residents spend an estimated thousand dollars per week at the Highlands’ ABC store. Many of the vacationers and second-home owners — who swell Cashier’s population to 10,000 in summer months — stock up before coming to the mountains. “You’re talking a lot of untapped revenue
for a new store, Roberson said. Ultimately, it’s a gamble of whether a new store could pay off in the end, however. “You have to look at what’s safest,” Roberson said. “With risk you stand to earn more, but you also stand to lose more.” Jones understands the concerns of Sylva representatives who are hesitant to enter into a contract that stands to hurt the town economically. To assuage the fears of Sylva lawmakers, he said he would consider forming a joint ABC board agreement that would guarantee Sylva’s profits from the ABC stores would not dip below a certain level for a set period of time. Even if that meant less money for the county, commissioners view an ABC store in the southern region of the county as not only a moneymaker but also a service to residents. County and town representatives have been holding small meetings to hash out the details of what a combined, or separate, board would look like. They hope to bring proposals Andrew Kasper photo before their respective boards in the coming weeks. During the past several years, money from The Sylva town board will discuss merging the local ABC store has provided about with a county ABC board at its next meeting $160,000 annually to Sylva’s coffers. Out of a on Feb. 7. town budget of about $3 million, losing the Sylva Alderman Harold Hensley, who has ABC distribution money while a new store not been in on the talks, said he is interested to finds its feet and customer base would have a hear any proposals, although his priority is prosignificant impact. tecting the revenues of the town budget. Also, Sylva would have a lot to offer in a joint with summer high season in Cashiers approachoperation. Its store has ample storage space for ing, the county is moving to have a store in place inventory and experienced staff and ABC in time to catch the influx of residents. board members who could offer advice to the “The county is wanting to move pretty county — from navigating the state’s ABC quick on their end,” Hensley said. “I just really computer software to shelf stocking strategies hope whatever they work out, our revenues — and help smooth over the transition period won’t get hit.”
County likely to take over reins of new Jackson economic commission
BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER lthough Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission has not met in several years, all its board members’ terms have expired and its director has longsince resigned, it technically still exists. Furthermore, its ghost stands in the way of the county’s plan to create another commission charged with similar goals but hopefully more effective. County officials plan to broach the issue of what to do about this empty shell of an Economic Development Commission still on the books at a joint meeting between county commissioners and town boards on Monday (Feb 4.) The four towns in the county — Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Forest Hills — helped create the now defunct economic commission. Thus, their blessing is needed to formally disband it. Once disbanded, county leaders have talked of recreating the board as a leaner, meaner economic machine. Under the old structure, each town had seat on the board. But the new board will most likely be a county entity only — made up of business leaders and residents appointed directly by county commissioners. And a new director, if one is hired, may answer directly to commissioners as well. County Manager Chuck Wooten said the new arrangement should be better for the county and allow for a more focused and responsive system than the old one. 14 “For a while, it lost its focus and emphasis,” Wooten said.
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source out there,” Jones said. Sylva Town Manager Paige Roberson has questioned how long it would take a Cashiers store to become self-sustaining, and whether it would pick up enough new business to offset both the overhead and losses at Sylva’s store. If the town and county’s board are rolled into one, would the profits of the Sylva store will be dragged down by a struggling startup store, Roberson wondered.
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“The county put in a lot of the money but didn’t have as about having Sylva’s direct representation being written out much say.” of the process. As he put it, economic development conCounty Commissioner Mark Jones said he thought an trolled by the county would run more efficiently and would economic advisory board of five to seven members and an help the local municipalities anyway. economic development director, all answering to the county, Nonetheless, he said he saw the shortcomings in the prewould be more logical than the previous organization that involved all vious commission. He pointed out the local towns. Under the old structure, that towns like Forest Hills and “It probably makes sense for the Webster, although they had voting economic development to be under each town had seat on the seats on the board, weren’t ecothe county control,” Moody said. board. But the new board nomically driven communities. “You can get too many fingers in the Jones said it may be better to pie as the old saying goes.” will most likely be a county reserve advisory roles for the local When it comes to economic entity only — made up of municipalities but have a countydevelopment, he said Jackson run board make major decisions. County needs to approach it as if it is business leaders and resiThe board’s former power-sharing a competition with its neighbors and setup may have been the cause for should try to attract businesses and dents appointed directly by some of the problems and ill that visitors that might otherwise go to county commissioners. plagued it, Jones said. Bryson City or Waynesville. “The basic idea is to see if we The push for a new economic can restructure the EDC,” Jones said. “Because (the county) development initiative comes on the heels of an economic has bigger budgets to use and we could move forward with development report by a regional consulting firm. The counthis restructuring more efficiently.” ty contracted the firm to conduct an economic assessment of Jones said he would like to see the board focus on helping the county for more than $20,000. local businesses succeed and expand first, then on attracting Their report was published and presented to commisnew enterprise. Also, he said, it would be important for a new sioners this winter. The consultants recommended reconstiboard along with a director to pursue grants and other fundtuting the Economic Development Commission but county ing opportunities through the state and federal governments. commissioners had stated publicly for some time that they Sylva Mayor Maurice Moody said he had no qualms wanted to reconstitute it anyway.