Sen. Chuck Edwards: Asheville referendum rejecting state council district plan a “sham”

Press release from Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson):

“Earlier this year, after numerous constituents asked for my help, I sponsored a law requiring the Asheville City Council to create council districts and give all Asheville citizens a chance to have their voices heard by their city government.

“Unfortunately, the city council doesn’t seem to understand what most ordinary citizens do – that following the law isn’t optional. For months, they have blatantly ignored the law, then organized and helped defeat a referendum in an attempt to preserve the status quo system from which they personally benefit. They have ignored that their very own poll shows the clear majority of respondents agree single-member districts are a good way to ensure differing political views in Asheville have equal representation on city council. And despite the fact that they’ve wasted taxpayers’ time and money on a sham of an election that they knew would attract such a low turnout, it still does not change the law.

“Asheville is a city that prides itself on standing apart, but today its leaders are standing out for all the wrong reasons. I call on the Asheville City Council to stop using taxpayer-funded resources to break the law and instead fulfill their duty to ensure all Asheville residents have fair representation.”

Background
Senate Bill 285 was intended to allow for different perspectives to be represented on the Asheville City Council. The current system of city-wide elections has resulted in many Asheville residents being left without representation.

The law directed the city to amend its charter to create electoral districts for city council by November 1 and to create a district map by November 15. To date, the council has refused to
do so.

The overwhelming majority of North Carolina’s larger cities already hold their elections using a districted process. Of the state’s 15 largest cities, Asheville is one of only two that have not changed their election charter to one that includes districted representation.

SHARE
About Community Bulletin
Mountain Xpress posts selected news and information of local interest as a public service for our readers. To submit press releases and other community material for possible publication, email news@mountainx.com.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Sen. Chuck Edwards: Asheville referendum rejecting state council district plan a “sham”

  1. Stu Helm

    The Republican party has lied to our faces for decades about their true agenda, which is apparently to subvert Democracy with the help of foreign agents. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out that Senator Chuck Edwards is paid in Rubles. VOTE HIM OUT!

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.