Press release from Vijay Kapoor:
Neighborhood advocate Vijay Kapoor filed to run for Asheville City Council today.
“City Council needs to be laser-focused on the needs of our residents and neighborhoods,” Kapoor said. “I’m running to ensure that all of Asheville’s residents go to sleep each night feeling safe, fed, healthy and valued.”
Kapoor successfully organized neighborhood opposition to out-of-scale developments, advocated for displaced residents of a mobile home community, and calls for greater transparency in City operations and budgeting. He recently raised questions on how the River Arts District Transportation Improvement Project (RADTIP) bid process was handled by City staff and City Council. Originally estimated to cost $50 million, City Council recently voted to accept bids totaling $76 million for only part of the original plan.
“Many residents have told me that they’re concerned with how quickly Asheville is changing and that they don’t feel their voices are being heard,” Kapoor said. “My goals are to ensure that the City focuses on resident and neighborhood needs, that its policies permit only rational and responsible development, and that we diversify our local economy to improve wages.”
Raised in Asheville by parents who immigrated from India and Poland, Kapoor would be the first Indian American to serve on City Council. A former litigator for state and local governments, Kapoor owns a small business providing economic and financial analysis to municipalities across the country. He was born in Chicago, IL.
Kapoor earned his Law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Economics and Public Policy degrees from the University of Chicago. Over his career, Kapoor has represented asylum seekers, homeowners facing foreclosure and individuals in unemployment compensation matters. He was recently featured in The Urban News’ group of “extraordinary men” in Asheville and co-founded Health Care CPR which advocates for affordable health care for all. Kapoor and his wife Anne, an attorney and Estes’ PTA secretary, live in South Asheville with their two small children and rescued dog from Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.
The nonpartisan municipal election is this fall. The filing period will close at noon on July 21st. Kapoor’s campaign website is www.kapoorforcouncil.org.
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