1. With the town recently receiving $3.5 million from the clean water management fund, what do you think is the best approach to handling that money?

Allen: My thinking is to bank the $3.5 million and use the interest wisely for such things as special projects and needs.

Beck: I believe we should invest the money in interest-bearing accounts and only use the interest to do improvement projects, such as to expand our road, water and sewer networks.

Graham: The plan that the town currently has to invest the money and spend only the annual interest seems very sound to me, in that it ensures financial security for Sylva’s future. The interest alone will be a nice boost to the town’s budget.

Lewis: There is nothing pressing at this time that the town needs, so I would suggest the town have an interest-bearing account, and we can come up with projects to spend the interest on.

Moody: The town board has discussed this at length and agreed that the $3.5 million should be invested with only the interest being spent. With this approach, the $3.5 million, like the Conservation Easement, will last forever and benefit the town in the future.

Now this is a refreshing perspective for candidates for a town board! Their first thought to "found" money is to invest it, using the capitalist system to make money off money. Contrast that with the spending schemes of other town councils including, most famously, Asheville, NC.

If only our elected Representatives in Washington, DC felt that way...this nation would be in much better hands that it is in now.