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Dillsboro leaders OK cable franchise
By Justin Goble
Dillsboro town leaders passed a franchise agreement with Mediacom Communication Monday (Oct. 3).
Officials voted 3-0 to pass the agreement on its second reading. Board members Bud Smith and Emma Wertenberger were absent.
The favorable vote allows the new agreement to go into effect at the start of the new year.
The main change it is the franchise fee, which was raised from 3 percent to 5 percent. This increase stems from recent legislation passed by the General Assembly that places a 7 percent sales tax on cable companies.
Under the new legislation, cable companies are able to offset the sales tax with their franchise fees. This caused Mediacom officials to urge Jackson County’s municipalities to raise their fees and keep those monies in the local economy.
Officials also passed 3-0 a resolution agreeing with the county’s hazard mitigation plan.
The county passed the mitigation plan detailing steps that have been taken to avoid natural disasters, and what steps would be taken if one were to occur. The plan was handed down to the municipalities to review.
Dillsboro officials wrote a letter stating their agreement with the plan and sent it to be approved by the state and federal governments. While the state approved the letter, the federal government required the town to pass a resolution stating their agreement with the plan.
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