Paid for by Hyatt For Haywood
Vicki Hyatt - Your Voice for Haywood’s Future
 The Vicki Hyatt for Haywood campaign is about building a stronger county by tapping into our greatest resource – the people who care about this community. Hyatt and her husband Richard, live on the 115-year-old family farm in Bethel and she has spent nearly three decades reporting on the people, challenges, and decisions that shape this county.

Vicki Hyatt for Haywood County Commissioner

From the story:
”Hyatt moved to the area in the 1990s. She is the only candidate featured in this story who’d previously held office, having served as a county commissioner and state representative in Montana. Since moving to the region, she spent most of her time working at The Mountaineer, where she served as editor from 2003 until just a few years ago. Hyatt said she decided to run for office in December and hopes to bring outside-the-box solutions to the complex problems of the modern age.

’I think the tried-and-true solutions of yesterday are just not going to be applicable going forward,’ she said.”

Hyatt Noted as One of the Area’s Unaffiliated Candidates

Vicki Hyatt moved to the area in the 1990s. She lives with her husband, Richard, on a family farm in Bethel.

Vicki Hyatt, a Bethel farmer and former editor of The Mountaineer, has been collecting signatures from registered voters since early January. That’s the only way a candidate not associated with a recognized political party in North Carolina can get on the ballot.

New candidate joins the field in fall commissioner race

Vicki is a farmer in Bethel and has spent nearly three decades reporting on the county. She previously served as editor of The Mountaineer.

Former Mountaineer editor making unaffiliated run for county ...

Vicki previously served as a county commissioner and state representative in Montana.

2026 North Carolina General Election

Haywood County is also home to many small businesses and entrepreneurs. Helping existing businesses grow can create jobs without requiring every new opportunity to come from outside the county.

Economic Development

Local economic development can include supporting entrepreneurs, helping small businesses expand, attracting new employers, developing job-training opportunities, and making good use of existing buildings and infrastructure.

Supporting youth also means thinking about the adults they will become. Young people need opportunities to learn skills, explore careers, start businesses, and find good jobs if they choose to build their lives here.

Youth & Families

Supports helping existing small businesses and entrepreneurs grow, while supporting employer recruitment, job training, and the use of existing buildings and infrastructure.

Supports opportunities for young people to learn skills, explore careers, start businesses, and find local jobs.

- Supports helping existing small businesses and entrepreneurs grow, while supporting employer recruitment, job training, and the use of existing buildings and infrastructure.
- Supports opportunities for young people to learn skills, explore careers, start businesses, and find local jobs.

Economy

Community also means making sure people have a chance to participate. Residents bring different experiences and ideas to the table, and those perspectives can help identify solutions that might otherwise be missed.

Community & Belonging

The challenge is finding more ways for these groups and individuals to work together.

Listening is an important part of that process. Conversations with residents can help identify problems, uncover ideas, and build support for practical solutions.

Supports opportunities for residents to participate in identifying community problems and practical solutions.

- Supports opportunities for residents to participate in identifying community problems and practical solutions.

Public Services

Affordable Housing

Finding a safe, affordable home is becoming harder for many people in Haywood County. We need to look for practical ways to create more housing options for working families, young adults, and first-time homebuyers.

Issues That Matter to Haywood County

Affordable housing does not simply mean building more houses. It means creating housing that local people can realistically afford while also considering roads, water, sewer, schools, and other community needs.

Affordable Housing

One idea being discussed locally is finding ways to encourage homes in the $200,000 range for first-time buyers. This could include working with local property owners, private partners, and community organizations to identify land that is suitable for housing and has access to municipal water and sewer.

This was the first of several housing tours I’m arranging with a group of about 15 organizations and community members who are passionate about finding workable housing solutions for Haywood County.

Looking at Intentionally Affordable Housing

Our next visits will include housing models offered by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) and other developments across the region. I’ll continue sharing what we learn and, most importantly, which ideas might make sense for Haywood County.

Supports creating housing options that working families, young adults, and first-time homebuyers can afford while considering infrastructure and community needs.

Proposes working with property owners, private partners, and community organizations to identify land suitable for housing with municipal water and sewer access.

Is arranging regional tours of housing models to identify ideas that could work in Haywood County.

- Supports creating housing options that working families, young adults, and first-time homebuyers can afford while considering infrastructure and community needs.
- Proposes working with property owners, private partners, and community organizations to identify land suitable for housing with municipal water and sewer access.
- Is arranging regional tours of housing models to identify ideas that could work in Haywood County.

Housing & Urban Development

As of September 2, 2026, Vicki Hyatt’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Safety

Transportation & Infrastructure

Preserving farmland does not mean stopping growth. It means thinking carefully about where growth happens and finding ways for agriculture to remain a viable part of the local economy.

Farmland Preservation

My testimony emphasized that the company’s increased power demand projections were based on growth projections for the state, and that 80% of that growth would come from data centers.

My testimony emphasized that the company’s increased power demand projections were based on growth projections for the state, and that 80% of that growth would come from data centers.

Citing a draft NC Energy Policy Task force that has multiple options
0for decreasing energy demand (email me if you want a copy), I argued more time is needed to consider options, so the rate hike rate hike should be denied.

Public says ‘No’ to Rate Hike

Supports preserving farmland while directing growth carefully and maintaining agriculture as part of the local economy.

Opposes Duke Energy's requested rate increase, arguing more time is needed to consider ways to reduce energy demand.

- Supports preserving farmland while directing growth carefully and maintaining agriculture as part of the local economy.
- Opposes Duke Energy's requested rate increase, arguing more time is needed to consider ways to reduce energy demand.

Energy & the Environment

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Vicki Hyatt

Mauricio Mendez

Walter Ley

Blake T. Hart

Carly Pugh

David Burnette

Jeff Stines

Michael T. Sorrells

Tommy Long

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners can create, change, or abolish offices, positions, departments that are not required by law. 
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms, with no term limits. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.

Creates new laws and passes the budget for your county.