Rep. Charles Taylor is making himself at home in Jackson County. County commissioners recently approved a request for space for the congressman to set up an office in the current Board of Elections office.

Taylor, R-Brevard, represents the 11th Congressional district, which includes a majority of Western North Carolina. Jackson County is located roughly in the geographic middle of the district.

Rebecca Heppel, one of Taylor’s representatives, appeared before commissioners to lobby for the allocation of office space. Through ties with Taylor, Jackson County has received $15 million in federal funding, Heppel said, an amount that places the county second in the region behind Swain.

However, of that $15 million, approximately three-quarters has gone to Western Carolina University, Heppel said. While Heppel said funding the university was not a bad thing, students who take advantage of the training and educational opportunities offered there are leaving the county post-graduation, essentially taking the investment with them.

With an office in the county, Taylor would be better able to focus on needs other than the university’s, Heppel said.

“We feel that by having an office here it would strengthen ties with constituents,” Heppel said.

Heppel said Taylor would prefer to locate in the old county jail, a space once occupied by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV has moved into a nearby mobile unit and the local genealogical society has been looking at turning the vacated jail into a museum and records library. Commissioner Brian McMahan, the commissioners liaison with the genealogical society, will discuss the matter with the group and inquire as to whether sharing the old jail would be a problem.

Commissioners suggested a temporary office could be located in the Board of Elections office, as the board is slated to move into the Justice and Administration Center. Heppel said this arrangement would be acceptable until commissioners could talk with genealogical society members. In return, Heppel said Taylor’s office would be willing to assist with finding grants to allow for the restoration of the old jail.

Commissioners unanimously approved the temporary arrangement.

— By Sarah Kucharski