This article is a follow-up to an article written in 2022. That article can be read here: https://thebluebanner.net/14669/news/14669/
Sebastian Cothran was only a 21-year-old student at UNC Asheville when he won the elected position of Haywood County tax collector in 2022. After serving his four-year term, Cothran is no longer seeking a position in the world of tax collection.
Cothran put himself on the ballot for Haywood County tax collector and was elected in November of 2022, while he was still in his first year at UNC Asheville. He took office in December of 2022 as the youngest person to ever win elected office in Haywood County. He started the position with a plethora of expectations to push past.
“The closer it got, the more I thought it might happen, but I was nervous for the election,” Cothran said.
According to Cothran, he was blessed with his staff. Even while taking classes in political science and accounting, there was a lot to learn in the realm of tax collection. According to Cothran, his position mostly consisted of overseeing his staff, who he said were a blessing.
Now that his term is coming to a close, Cothran is looking toward something more peaceful than politics.
“I just decided I need to get out of it. I love studying and watching politics on the outside, but I don’t like being on the inside. There’s more politics than you’d expect in a tax collector race,” Cothran said.
Cothran pursued double majors in accounting and political science, which he completed in only two years with an associate’s degree from community college that he earned beforehand.
According to Cothran, it was the support of his professors and friends that helped him succeed and balance the undertakings of school and work. Cothran made a nearly an hour commute between his office and school during the time he was both working as a tax collector and working on finishing his degree.
“I remember there was one semester when I was working, I had a morning class at 8 o’clock on the same day. So I’d have to come in the morning and go to work and then leave work,” Cothran said.
With Cothran still being a student when he was elected, naysayers were many, and according to Cothran, there always will be naysayers. Despite that, Cothran persisted and encouraged others to do the same.
“As long as you work hard and are good to those around you, you need to try. Because if you listen to everyone else, you’ll never do anything. You need to at least try,” Cothran said.
Along with looking back, Cothran is also looking forward. According to Cothran, five years ago, he’d never have been able to tell himself what he’s done now. Within his full term, he’s owned two houses, owned his own lawn business, and helped his father with a car repair shop.
“I would have never believed it. It’s been a blessing. You just gotta do what you gotta do, and you gotta keep going, no matter what people say,” Cothran said.
