Changing of the guard

Posted on by David Forbes
Moving on: Outgoing Vice Mayor Brownie Newman reminisced about his eight years on Asheville City Council and praised the newcomers, sworn in on Dec. 6. Newman will run for a Buncombe County Board of Commissioners seat in 2012. photo by Bill Rhodes.

Asheville City Council Dec. 6, 2011 meeting

  • Manheimer named vice mayor
  • Davis back for third term

The Asheville City Council chamber was packed, and many heads bowed as the Rev. Mark Ward of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville contemplated the state of the city.

“For all the natural beauty of this place, the strength and resourcefullness of its people, there are worrisome pressures in play that can diminish this city and divide its people from one another,” said Ward. “Job losses and economic disparity are squeezing us. Intolerance tears at our city life. Continuing damage to our environment threatens us all.”

Not so fast

Turns out Brownie Newman isn't bowing out of politics. The two-term City Council member's last day in office was Dec. 6, but he’s already announced a run for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

“As a member of Asheville City Council, I tried to set ambitious, achievable goals for our community,” Newman said Dec. 5. “I am proud that we have established Asheville as a leader for energy independence and green jobs, promoted the growth of locally owned businesses and made it clear that we are an inclusive community that supports equal rights for all our citizens.”

Thanks to a switch to district elections imposed by the state Legislature, Newman will seek one of two seats in the 114th District, which includes most of Asheville. And with longtime Commissioner Bill Stanley stepping down in the coming year, Newman said he’s looking forward to running alongside Commissioner (and former Council member) Holly Jones in 2012.

The announcement also quoted Jones, as follows: “I am excited that Brownie is running for [the Board of Commissioners]. He has contributed a lot to the City Council over the past eight years, and he will be an effective member of the commission.”

Newman says he hadn't yet set his sights on the Board of Commissioners when he declined to seek another term on Council.

"I thought a lot about this," he explains. "I looked at the issues I cared about and felt I could do even more good at the county level." He also looks forward to running alongside Jones and working with her to advance their shared goals, noting, "Holly and I had a really good working relationship on Council.”

Newman plans to hold a campaign kickoff event in January.

In electing Council members, he continued, “We are not seeking saviors who will make everything right, or those who will tell us what they think we want to hear. We are seeking people who will bring watchful eyes, keen ears and compassionate hearts to the affairs of this city.”

Ward sounded a warning note in an otherwise festive occasion, as City Council met Dec. 6 to swear in new members Marc Hunt and Chris Pelly, welcome back Jan Davis for a third term, and bid farewell to Vice Mayor Brownie Newman and Council member Bill Russell.

Mayor Terry Bellamy honored Newman and Russell with plaques, gifts and a proclamation, calling the vice mayor a consensus builder on difficult issues and commending Russell for his “commitment to Asheville's financial stability.”

Newman said serving on Council has been the greatest honor of his life. He praised city staff and called his fellow Council members “a good-looking group.”

The day before, Newman had announced plans to seek a seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners next year (see sidebar, “Not So Fast”).

Russell, meanwhile, said: “I love this town; I'll be here until the day I die. I just hope we can stay a great town where our children have an opportunity to live and work in the wonderful community that we have.”

Women warriors

Council then turned to naming a new vice mayor.

"It's with a great deal of enthusiasm that I'd like to place a nomination for Esther Manheimer," said Davis, who himself served as vice mayor from 2007-09. Council member Gordon Smith seconded the motion, telling Manheimer, "You've demonstrated a lot of leadership, you run some tight meetings, and you have been able to really reach across all the lines that can appear in our city."

The vice mayor fills in when the mayor is absent, which may happen more frequently with Bellamy running for Congress in the 10th District.

"I don't think this city has ever had a female mayor and vice mayor at the same time," noted Bellamy, adding, "I think we just made history."

In fact, however, Holly Jones (now a Buncombe County commissioner) served as vice mayor from 2005-07, during Bellamy's first term.

"I'm honored that my colleagues have elected me to this position, and I plan to serve with vigor and live up to their expectations," said Manheimer.

Davis, who edged out Lael Gray by 35 votes to retain his seat, thanked the public for entrusting him with another term.

In brief remarks, Hunt said “I've already learned so much” during the campaign, adding that “This session of Council will probably be the most positive and supportive one I'll ever experience.”

For his part, Pelly thanked his supporters and campaign manager, noting his newfound appreciation for city staff. “I look forward to going to work on behalf of the citizens of Asheville.”

— David Forbes can be reached at 251-1333, ext. 137, or at dforbes@mountainx.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

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.

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.