![]() The federal government agreed to build a North Shore road in 1943 as part of arrangements to construct Fontana Dam. It is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Because the agreement says the money is not due until 2020, Swain County has no case, the government says. The federal government notes language in the 2010 agreement says after Swain County received the $12.8 million, getting any more money is dependent on congressional appropriations. We have a limited tax base, so definitely the money is going to be helpful," he said. Median household income in Swain County is a little less than two-thirds the national figure and nearly 20 percent of Swain residents live in poverty.Ĭommissioners have used interest on the $12.8 million the county has received so far for needs ranging from new ambulances to a county history museum. Getting the full amount also would make a big difference in a county in which more than 80 percent land area federally owned and the annual budget is about $17 million, County Manager Kevin King said. Getting the money would be a big financial boost for a county that could use one. "We believe the government has acted unreasonably, obviously going on for a very long time." ![]() "It's time that Swain County has its day in court," said Peter Dungan, a Washington attorney representing the county. Even if the lawsuit clears that hurdle, the county still would have to wait months - or even years - for a ruling on the merits of the lawsuit itself. ![]() "We have been jerked around."Ĭommissioners filed suit against the federal government in April to get the rest of the money and should learn during the first quarter of next year whether a judge will allow their suit to go forward. "We feel like the federal government needs to honor their obligation," said Phil Carson, chairman of the Swain Board of Commissioners. ![]() It still owes Swain County $39.2 million and Swain officials say there is little sign that the debt will be paid any time soon. Department of Interior signed an agreement in which the county would get $52 million and abandon its claim for the federal government to build a road along the North Shore of Fontana Lake, something federal officials had agreed to do in 1943.īut the federal government has yet to pay up in full. BRYSON CITY – Swain County residents and environmental groups thought a decades-long controversy over whether the federal government should build a road through a remote section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park had finally come to an end six years ago. ![]()
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