J.B. Howard, Republican, candidate for chair, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners

J.B. Howard
Party: Republican
Slogan: Take our County Back
Profession: “Private investigator and security”
Residence: Asheville
Funding: Top donor: Mitchell D’or ($1,000). Total raised: $1,150.
Endorsements: None.

1. Do you favor A) creating a regional water authority, B) giving the existing system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District, or C) leaving it under Asheville’s control? Why?

Giving the water system to MSD. The Metropolitan Sewerage District is nonpolitical and professional.

2. Do you support granting domestic-partner rights and/or benefits to Buncombe County employees? (Yes/No) Why?

No.

3. Do you favor offering tax breaks and other economic-development incentives to companies that agree to move here or expand existing facilities and hire local workers? (Yes/No) Why?

No. Our county has the best resources found anyplace in its people. We need a chairman who is familiar with marketing and leaderships skills to pursue and convince new business to locate here. Our homegrown business should feel confident to grow also.

4. Do you think the county should make funding the Connect Buncombe greenways a high priority? (Yes/No) Why?

No. We need to get jobs and affordable housing before walking through the grass in a utopian lifestyle.

5. What’s the most important role of county government in job creation?

Reduce growth regulations, reduce permit and operational costs to encourage people to start new businesses. Lessening the regulations will give the opportunity for small businesses to enter the market and grow the job sector, and will allow current businesses to grow. In that process, they’ll hire more local people.

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About Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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One thought on “J.B. Howard, Republican, candidate for chair, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners

  1. Doug Sahm

    “We need to get jobs and affordable housing before walking through the grass in a utopian lifestyle.”

    Well, you see Sir, the point of having greenways is so you wouldn’t have to…oh, just forget it.

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