The good government officials of Swain County are comporting themselves honorably. The article in the Smoky Mountain News reports that the recession hasn’t hit Swain as hard as elsewhere, but then Swain has not been as draconian about legislating décor as the average community.

For starters, the good commissioners of Swain County have decided to give their constituents a one-cent property tax cut. The new rate will be 32 cents. Unfortunately, the average valuation rose 30%.

Three government staffers will be laid off. The remainder will be required to take furloughs. The county commissioners have agreed to take two weeks off without pay.

County Manager Kevin King even expressed what the bulk of government workers, lost in a Keynesian fog, are unwilling to confront. “If you have three to four years of this economy and you don’t do these cuts, you’ll be back in the same shape.”

After all this, though, the county still must cut $110,000 in expenditures from its budget. “It’s not like we have this fluff in our budget,” said King.

According to “By the Numbers,” Swain led the state with the lowest per capita tax rate ($329) before the one-cent cut.