Asheville City Council: Redux

Posted on by David Forbes

A vote on a living wage was delayed, the Business Improvement District was shelved, and Asheville City Council once again voted for a resolution opposing state legislation taking its water system.

Council declared its unanimous opposition to the latest incarnation of state legislation proposed by local Republican representatives to forcibly transfer Asheville’s water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District. Council’s opposed the idea for the past few years, claiming it will result in less efficiency and a major hit to the city’s budget. City Manager Gary Jackson presented the city’s case this morning before the house finance committee, where the water bill passed on a party line vote. It goes before the full house tomorrow.

Jackson also noted that while the bill prohibits privatizing the water assets, it could open the way to administrative privatization in the future.

Also: Council will hold another budget town hall April 18 at 6 p.m. in South Asheville.

Council also approved 5-2 two signs outside a McDonald’s in the Weirbridge Village commercial development in South Asheville. Council members Chris Pelly and Cecil Bothwell voted against the measure. Bothwell said he believed the city should stop granting variances to bigger business, while supporters of the move felt that it was a necessary response to the city’s outdated sign rules.

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3 thoughts on “Asheville City Council: Redux”

  1. Meiling Dai

    HB488 – Section 162A-85.29. No privatization.
    The district board may not in any way privatize
    the provision of water or sewer to the customer and the district unless related to administrative matters only.

  2. Meiling Dai

    CORRECTION:
    Section 162A-85.29 No privatization.
    The district board may not in any way privatize the provision of water or sewer to the customers of the district unless related to administrative matters only.

  3. sharpleycladd

    The NCGA has voted to seize Asheville’s water system, probably in violation of the state constitution (“It’s really a local bill, but it is phrased generally to get around the constitution.” – Rep Paul Stam). The Moffitt camp manufactured a lot of lies to get the theft done, and I am very disappointed that our local media, including Mountain Xpress, didn’t do a better job of calling out the liars and their motives.

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