‘We hit the ground running’

• Second in a 3-part series

Robbinsville – Natasha Williams said during a candidate forum in 2022 that having new blood on the Graham County Board of Commissioners wouldn’t be a bad thing.

In the May 2022 primary, voters seemed to agree.

Williams placed third in a field of eight candidates running in the Republican primary for the three seats. Edging out candidate Andy Lynn by just one vote, she came in third behind incumbents Jacob Nelms and Lynn Cody, qualifying for the general election in November.

In so doing, she unseated incumbent Dale Wiggins, one of the board’s elder statesmen.

Williams placed second for three available seats on the board in November, bested only by incumbent Jacob Nelms and beating third-place finisher Lynn Cody – the other incumbent on the ballot – by 150 votes.

There’s a learning curve whenever someone is elected to office, but Williams’ impact were immediately felt. She was picked to be vice chairman of the board and voted with Cody and Commissioner Keith Eller to remove Jason Marino as county manager.

The Graham Star asked Williams about her first few weeks in office:

* Describe your first hour, day, week and month at work?

“Swear-in day was eventful – what I assumed would be a relatively-slow day that just included swearing our oath was actually a full and productive business meeting. We hit the ground running and have been going strong since. The month of December was an eventful one for sure.

“In addition to the day-to-day tasks of being a county commissioner, there is so much to learn on how a county government operates, so I have been doing a lot of studying. I have also just wrapped up a course on “The Essentials of County Government” through the UNC School of Government. This has provided a wealth of information and resources to assist in learning all the functions and roles within county government.”

* Were there any surprises you encountered, good or bad?

“The announcement that Smoky Mountain Urgent Care would be closing and moving out of the county-owned facility within 30 days was a bit of a surprise to me. The panic that this announcement set off throughout the community was worrisome. Loss of these much-needed medical services could be catastrophic for our county’s citizens. I have been pleased to see so many people – including all of the board of commissioners and other community leaders – working diligently toward finalizing a deal with a new provider, to ensure that our facility can continue to serve and treat the citizens of Graham County.”

* What are your top concerns? How do you plan to address them?

“There are not a lot of local educational opportunities for local students desiring to go into a trade. While Tri-County Community College is a valuable asset to our community, I would like to see more in-person courses for those entering into trades – electricians, plumbers, mechanics, etc. Most of these type programs are offered in person in Peachtree – which may not always be feasible for many in our county – or online, which may be difficult as many people learn better with hands-on experience, especially in fields such as these. I would like to work with leaders at Tri-County Community College to try to bring more of these course offerings to our county;

“The financial burden on Graham County of having to house prisoners in other counties is worrisome. I understand that at this time this expense is unavoidable – until we are able to build and open our own jail. It is my hope that the county can break ground on this project as soon as possible.”