At a Realtors’ luncheon on Aug. 5, Rep. Tim Moffitt admitted that state legislators changed a recreation-authority bill as retaliation for Asheville’s lawsuit over the forcible transfer of the city’s water system. “Until the lawsuit is settled, we took the authority away from the city,” he told realtors. This contradicts statements Moffitt had previously made that the matters were unrelated.
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Competing claims? NC Dept of Public Instruction analyzes state budget’s impact on schools
Confused by competing political claims over public school funding in the recently approved North Carolina budget? The N.C. Department of Public Instruction prepared an analysis with the aim of clarifying the budget’s impact on schools.
‘We fight’: Moral Monday brings thousands to downtown Asheville to protest legislature
An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people showed up for Mountain Moral Monday this evening, filling Pack Square Park and protesting the policies of the North Carolina General Assembly. It was one of the largest demonstrations in Asheville’s recent history. Photo by Julia Ritchey.
LIVE: Updates from ‘Mountain Moral Monday’ via Twitter
Supporters and opponents of the Aug. 5 Mountain Moral Monday rally are taking to Twitter to report on the event and make their views known. This post features an aggregation of those messages.
Moral Monday comes to downtown Asheville
As the legislature’s finally ended its long session, opponents of the GOP-dominated General Assembly are taking the Moral Monday protests across the state, including to the core of Asheville at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 5.
NC’s final sales-tax holiday is this weekend
Local shoppers can save money on a variety of items soon, as Aug. 2-4 marks North Carolina’s final tax-free weekend.
Over 250 march in educators’ protest of General Assembly
Over 200 people marched through the streets of downtown Asheville today in protest of the actions of the North Carolina General Assembly including cuts, no raises for teachers and an end to tenure. The march was organized by the Asheville City Association of Educators, in conjunction with an NCAE protest in Raleigh. Photo by Max Cooper.
Protestors urge McCrory to reject new abortion law
About 20 people rallied July 26 in downtown Asheville to urge Gov. Pat McCrory to keep a campaign promise he made not to sign any new abortion restrictions into law.
Carolina Public Press: List of state budget’s key impacts on WNC
A new North Carolina state budget proposal could have a big impact on Western North Carolina. With the General Assembly planning to vote on the $20.6 billion biennial spending plan this week, here’s a look at some of the key provisions that are likely to effect the region.
Done deal: Lessons from the 2012 district elections
As state Rep. Tim Moffitt contemplates a move to switch Asheville to predominantly district elections, similar changes he pushed for the Buncombe County commissioners continue to have far-reaching effects.
The district advantage
UNCA political science professor Bill Sabo sees definite advantages to district election systems in cities with populations over 100,000. But with Asheville well below that threshold, it’s less clear what making such a switch here might mean.
Democracy by decree: State lawmakers may impose new city election system
A June 3 email from Rep. Tim Moffitt to Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy revealed a plan that has city officials and some residents up in arms.
District elections: Beyond the rhetoric
The recent disclosure that state Rep. Tim Moffitt had drafted a bill to change Asheville City Council contests from an at-large system to predominantly district elections has triggered heated debate among both elected officials and the general public. Although Moffitt hasn’t yet filed the bill, which mirrors the state-mandated 2011 switch for the Buncombe County commissioners, he could follow through at any time, and the potential impacts are substantial. In the following articles, Xpress takes a closer look at what such a move might mean for this city — and for this year’s scheduled elections.
Buncombe Commissioners pass interim budget
Buncombe Commissioners unanimously passed an interim budget June 28 as they wait for the state to decide on a whether to allow the county to create an independent Cultural and Recreation Authority.
Buncombe commissioners split over culture authority, likely to delay budget vote
Buncombe County commissioners may likely delay their vote today on a $337 million budget. The source of the postponement appears to be the contentious behind-the-scenes debate over state legislation that would allow them to create an independent Cultural and Recreation Authority that consolidates services offered by the county and municipalities within Buncombe. Some commissioners say they weren’t consulted about a recent amendment to the CRA bill, and it’s unclear whether a majority of commissioners supported the amendment.
Carrot and stick: In emails, legislators and Council wrangle over water lawsuit, district city elect
Behind-the-scenes negotiations over a lawsuit, a push from Raleigh to force district-based elections for Asheville, and the fate of a parks-and-recreation bill that could save city government millions — all this and more are revealed in emails between Council members, city staff and North Carolina legislators. Recently obtained by Xpress, the documents show a candid […]
Emails reveal more about state lawmakers’ push to overhaul Asheville’s elections
More emails obtained by Xpress shed new light on the push by some local lawmakers to impose a district election system on the city of Asheville.
Inside Asheville’s “What if” budget
The perfect storm of revenue overhauls in Raleigh, a property revaluation and a major reorganization of city departments make this year’s city of Asheville budget complicated, to say the least. Here’s some important things to know before tonight’s public hearing.
Emails reveal state reps trying to settle Asheville water lawsuit, may change city elections
Emails obtained by Xpress reveal that some state legislators have asked city of Asheville representatives to drop their lawsuit contesting a state-mandated transfer of the water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District. The emails also show legislators discussing the fate of legislation that consolidates Asheville and Buncombe County parks-and-recreation services — a move that could save the city $5 million a year. Further, the candid discussions shine a light on a long-rumored proposal that the state may force Asheville to switch to district-based elections.
In the Statehouse: Two state budgets and 600 bills to go
The North Carolina General Assembly has begun its end-of-session wrestling to reconcile Gov. Pat McCrory’s $20.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the Senate’s own $20.58 plan and priorities. Meanwhile, some of the nearly 600 bills still alive after crossover are filtering through Statehouse committees.
Asheville City Council tentatively endorses budget plan, uncertainties remain
While noting that much of its fate remains in the hands of the state legislature, at a special meeting this morning Asheville City Council gave staff the go-ahead to start drafting a budget based on a plan that calls for a 1 cent property tax increase and assumes the city and county may consolidate their parks and recreation operations by January.