Moffitt talks politics at town hall, touts success of forced annexation law

Former House Representative Tim Moffitt will be the short-term replacement for the District 3 seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. He has not indicated if he will run for the post in November.

Speaking to about 100 people at the Leicester Community Center on Saturday, June 30, in a polo shirt and khaki pants instead of a suit and tie, Buncombe County Rep. Tim Moffitt touted his accomplishments as a freshman legislator during a town hall forum.

The Republican, who represents the largely west Buncombe District 116, is running for reelection in the fall, where he will face challenger Jane Whilden, a Democrat he beat in 2010.

Highlighting the recently passed forced annexation bill that he sponsored, Moffitt called his self-proclaimed “signature pieces of legislation,” common sense for protecting “us county folks from the encroachment of those in the city.”

With a notebook of talking points in one hand, he said, “If a city is going to compel you to join them, you should at least have a voice on whether or not that should be permissible because they are essentially going to double your taxes.”

At this statement, the crowd applauded. 

However, though he has spent a year and a half working as a state representative, Moffitt was quick to say he does not consider himself a politician.

“I never considered myself to be a political person, I consider myself to be a practical person,” he told the crowd. And, speaking with Xpress after the town hall, Moffitt said he also considers himself a city person, too.

“I think folks in the city have been led to believe things about me that are just not true. Folks in the county, know that those things aren’t true,” he said, adding, “I think that people believe that I have issues with the city, but I don’t. I was born and raised in Asheville, I’m a city tax-payer and I think the city has a responsibility to uphold the word they have given.”

And he wants to see the City of Asheville keep its word, especially when it comes to the hot-button topic of the Asheville water system. Moffitt, who serves on the state’s Metropolitan Sewerage/Water System Committee, said the study committee found the consolidation of water and sewer to be the best option for the region.

“We’ve left it to the local leaders to make that happen. And for those of you who’ve been around, you know this process was resolved in 1994 and a regional water agreement was adopted in 1995. But the recent leadership changes in the City of Asheville have moved the city in a direction where they don’t want to honor long-standing agreements, and that’s our outcome,” he said.

Though he said he thinks the city has become “very myopic,” he said he plans to repair his relationship with city residents by holding similar town hall events in the future.

“I think I’ve accomplished a lot, but we have a lot of work that needs to be done. We hope that you’ll continue to support our vision for the state, and just listening to what you have to say is the most important thing,” Moffitt said.

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39 thoughts on “Moffitt talks politics at town hall, touts success of forced annexation law

  1. Jake

    Let’s get this straight: Tim Moffitt does NOT reside in Asheville, despite his representations to the contrary. And his antipathy for Asheville has been demonstrated frequently during his 18 months in Raleigh, no matter what he says.

    Now, most folks expect politicians to lie. But Moffitt insists he’s not a politician. So I’ll guess that he’s simply a pathological liar.

    • Robert Malt

      Jake:

      Moffitt said he is a city tax-payer (because he owns property in the city. He never said he resided in the city. Awaiting your apology to Mr. Moffitt…..

  2. Meiling Dai

    I attended this Town Hall meeting and want to
    say that Rep. Moffitt gave a good presentation
    of the bills he has sponsored or co-sponsored
    on behalf of the people he represents. He
    actively assisted in negotiations regarding the CTS-contaminated site so that those affected can have access to city water; he played an active role in negotiating an agreement to make
    the Asheville Airport a regional airport and to make the AG Center a state property – all this with the consent of the city of Asheville; he was responsible for helping to remove a cap on beer producers’ ability to sell their products, resulting in 2 major beer producers coming to this area which could result in 300 new jobs. I believe Rep. Moffitt is committed to working on behalf of the community he represents in District 116.

    • “I attended this Town Hall meeting ”

      As did I? Anyone else?

      Any of you petty partisan belly-achers have the stones to show up? Or are you just content to sit together in your little glass echo chamber grinning and patting each other on the back over your latest cheap shot?
      ………………

    • bsummers

      “As did I?”

      Ha-ha. You put a question mark instead of a period or perhaps an exclamation point. You are made to look moderately foolish. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

      But I digress. Seriously Tim(1), the fact that I didn’t attend Mr. Moffitt’s press event disallows me from commenting? I and others who comment here have had the “stones” as you call it, to confront Mr. Moffitt directly and on the record any number of times.

      Why are you so angry?

    • “that I didn’t attend Mr. Moffitt’s press event disallows me from commenting?”

      Comment all you like. And I’m glad you fessed up to not attending. The point, which you have reflexively missed, is that you and your yayhoo cheerleaders are gutless. You don’t want to ask questions because you know that you’ll have to confront your hapless mischaraterizations, and that would never do.
      …………………….

    • bsummers

      Gutless? I sat on a dais next to Tim Moffitt for three hours and confronted him on the water issue. And others who comment here have spoken directly to him as well. Just because we didn’t go to this particular campaign event doesn’t make us gutless, Tim.

      Your insults only highlight your inability to win a debate on the facts.

      No response on your “wage tax” FAIL?

  3. tatuaje

    Jake brings up an interesting point….

    According to state voter registration, Moffitt’s address is listed as 3182 SWEETEN CREEK RD which is the address of his business, Moffitt International.

    However, NC registration laws clearly state that voters much register with their RESIDENTIAL address.

    Has Mr. Moffitt been committing voter fraud?

  4. bsummers

    Curious – Tim Moffitt voted for a bill just a few days ago that says this, about cities that serve water/sewer to areas outside their city limits in the county:

    “The city may charge the property owner in the urban growth area up to twice the rate for water and sewer services that the city charges property owners within the corporate limits and may charge the property owner in the urban growth area for the cost of infrastructure improvements necessary to provide the water and sewer services outside the corporate limits.”

    http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2011&BillID=S382&votesToView=all

    • Bill Rhodes

      That’s a great question. Where does it say ‘except for Asheville’ in that?

  5. Meiling Dai

    Actually, Rep. Moffitt does live at 3182 Sweeten Creek Road. I checked. It is a residential area
    and has a big “smiley face” carved into the front
    lawn by a lawnmower. Why are you trying to say
    that is his business address when it isn’t? Who is the liar here? As far water rates are concerned, Asheville is the exception to most N.C. cities which do charge higher water rates to outsiders – a good example of this is Charlotte. Asheville cannot charge higher water rates to outsiders due to the city/county water history
    spelled out in Sullivan Acts II, III. County residents originally paid for their own water system infrastructure, and they still pay for the maintenance of this system.

    • Jake

      In any case, 3182 Sweeten Creek Road is NOT in Asheville. You could look it up.

      As regards this discussion of water systems, it does nothing to refute bsummers’ point that Moffitt is a hypocrite.

    • “suggested that Asheville should impose a brand new tax on people who work in the City?”

      Damn good idea. Staff consumes over 60% of Asheville’s annual budget. If they can’t reduce this expense then the recipient’s can damn well pitch in. You go, Meiling.
      …………….

    • bsummers

      STOP THE PRESSES> TIM PECK ADVOCATES RAISING NEW TAXES ON ALL WORKERS.

      “Damn good idea. Staff consumes over 60% of Asheville’s annual budget. If they can’t reduce this expense then the recipient’s can damn well pitch in. You go, Meiling.”

      Yeah see, again – I know that “facts” are intrinsically liberal and therefore Communist. But one might want to look into what a “wage tax” actually is before shooting your mouth off. The Philadelphia “wage tax” cited by (Mr. or Mrs.? Sorry – not trying to be funny, I honestly don’t know) Dai, applies to ALL employees working inside the City (and all Philly residents regardless of where they work), not just the ones employed by the City of Philadelphia.

      http://www.phila.gov/revenue/pdfs/Rev PDFs/wage internet.pdf

      Don’t worry – I won’t hold my breath waiting for a reply.

    • bsummers

      Anticipating the “your link doesn’t work, therefor your argument is invalid” defense, highlight the link & copy/paste, or ‘Open Link in New Tab’. Still can’t figure why the XPress comment engine enables some links & not others…

    • bsummers

      It’s not an attack to point out that someone (who again, started the abusive language) is wildly misinformed on the facts.

  6. bsummers

    “Actually, Rep. Moffitt does live at 3182 Sweeten Creek Road. I checked. It is a residential area… Why are you trying to say
    that is his business address when it isn’t? Who is the liar here?”

    Oh, I don’t know – just for giggles let’s check his own website:

    http://www.emoffitt.com/contact.php

    Contact Us
    Moffitt International, Inc.
    3182 Sweeten Creek Road
    Asheville, NC 28803

    Hey, maybe he does live in the same building as his business. No law against that. But that is his business address. Careful with the “L” word, skippy.

    Oh, and while you’re perusing his site, check out the number of times he uses the word “progressive” to attract clients…

    • D. Dial

      There is no sign or indication that an “International business” is operating at that address.

  7. Unaffiliated Voter

    Moffitt is a good honest guy who deserves RE election and you SURELY do NOT want to send that
    Jane Whilden back to Rawleigh. She was the WNC liason for the FELONIUS former Governor Sleazely and is a major democrackkk insider full of anti NC ideas. Dont need her for nothing…nada.

  8. Dionysis

    I’m “country folk.” I’m a “city person.” I’m two…two…two faces in one! But hey, I am NOT a politician!

    • bsummers

      “I was born and raised in Asheville, I’m a city tax-payer”… “us county folks.”

      It does sound slightly two-facey, doesn’t it? One might almost call him a… Rogue Element.

      “…just listening to what you have to say is the most important thing,” Moffitt said.

      That hasn’t always been my experience with him.

  9. Dionysis

    “BTW, is this the same Meiling Dai who, a few days ago, suggested that Asheville should impose a brand new tax on people who work in the City?”

    A somewhat distinctive name, unlikely to be shared by two in the same area, so it seems the answer is ‘yes’. So this person favors a tax on city workers (who are non-exempt, hourly workers, typically paid less than exempt status employees).

    Let’s see if I have this right…allow the state to take over Asheville water, charge significantly more to those darned “outsiders”, protect property owners from bothersome taxes and levy a “wage tax” on those who make the least.

    What a plan. Who could possibly take exception?

  10. Meiling Dai

    At the recent Town Hall meeting, Rep. Moffitt
    was asked that very question on “why he voted
    for fracking.” His reply was that he voted
    for a study on fracking. Just letting you know
    what he said.

  11. D. Dial

    “Tim Moffitt” last paid property taxes on a residence back in 2008. According to Buncombe County tax lookup.

  12. Meiling Dai

    Regarding Asheville’s water system going to the State mentioned by one commenter, that is
    incorrect information. The plan is to merge the city’s water system with Buncombe Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) wastewater system.
    House Bill HB 1009 MSD Amendments (McGrady,)passed by the Senate and House, accomplishes two significant changes to MDS statutes: 1. Grants any MSD the same powers and authorities as a Metropolitan Water District, and; 2. Rewrites the board composition for an MSD. These amendments pave the way for possible 2013 legislation that would mandate the merger of Asheville’ city-owned water utility with Buncombe MSD, a regional wastewater utility. If privatization of Asheville’s water system were the goal as many have concluded, do you think the N.C. Legislature would have approved HB 1009 going forward?

  13. Meiling Dai

    I forgot to mention that the Asheville Water
    System technically is regional. Its two main
    sources of water originate in Henderson County
    and Buncombe County. Presently, Asheville has complete control over the water system and
    Henderson County has no say. Making the system regional by merging it with Buncombe MSD will hopefully give all parties an equal say.

    • bsummers

      “I hear that Tim Moffitt dropped a pencil once.”

      Yes, but it was one of those giant prop pencils, about 8 feet long, and it crushed a puppy.

  14. Meiling Dai

    Perhaps the reason the city of Philadelphia imposes a wage tax on anyone who works in that city and on those who live in the city but work outside the city is because workers and residents use city services and facilities on a daily basis. Whether or not that theory can be applied to Asheville to justify a wage tax is an unknown because an application of wage taxes by any city in N.C. would have to be approved by the N.C. Legislature.

    • bsummers

      My point was in showing that certain other commentors both here and on the AC-T thread were under the impression that a “wage tax” only applies to City employees. I don’t if you were under that mistaken impression when you wrote that letter, or if your reference to “city workers” was simply misinterpreted by those who seek to blame public employees for the budget woes all states and cities are going through now.

      In any case, a brand new tax on working people, public or private or both, is really unlikely.

    • bsummers

      …besides being totally regressive. A “wage tax” only applies to income from a salary or hourly wage. It lets the wealthy off scot-free, by not taxing investment income. Whatever led to this tax in Philadelphia, the working poor and middle class are exactly the wrong people who should be paying more in taxes.

  15. Meiling Dai

    Rep. Tim Moffitt sponsored HB 925, the annexation reform bill that recently became law. It allows
    North Carolineans to once again cast a referendum vote on annexation. Prior to June 1959, the people of North Carolina voted on annexation, but the N.C. Annexation law of 1959, approved by
    corrupt lawmakers, deprived citizens of this voting privilege. We live in a democracy that allows citizens to have a voice on issues that affect them. Rep. Moffitt deserves our thanks and
    support for his efforts in restoring the vote
    on annexation.

  16. Bob

    I think the Sweeten Creek address for Moffit is both residence and business, in the family for a long time, once in the county but annexed by the city some years ago. The whole area was annexed…pretty sure it incuded his residence.

    We have to stop villanizing our politicians. Moffit is a nice guy. People are just nutty that want to say otherwise.

    Asheville lost water because they were not going to run a line to Fedex in Henderson County. It was just a fakeout power play but showed all a bad side of Water politics…a regional board is better.

    I am for common sense Politics…not party radicalism or party line bashng. I am sure the Dem running against Moffit is a nice person with some good ideas…I just like Moffits ideas better…because he is not a radical partyliner.

    I live in the county with city water and think annexation has seen its day..but gone now.

  17. Meiling Dai

    To clarify the matter of whether Rep. Tim Moffitt lives in the city or county, I called
    the Buncombe County Board of Elections that had originally informed me he lives in the County. This morning, the Elections Board zoomed in on 3182 Sweeten Creek Road and confirmed that “Rep. Tim Moffitt lives in Buncombe County.” Case closed.

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