Holly Jones, Democrat, candidate for District 1, Buncombe County Commissioners

Holly Jones
Party: Democrat
Slogan: None
Profession: Regional manager for the YWCAs of the Southeast region
Residence Asheville
Funding: My only report submitted since filing for office was a semiannual report, and no fundraising had yet occurred. But unofficially, my top donor is Becky Anderson ($300), and I have raised about $6,500.
Endorsements: Sierra Club

1. Do you favor A) creating a regional water authority, B) giving the existing system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District, or C) leaving it under Asheville’s control? Why?
C. Asheville has demonstrated excellence in system management and invested $40 million in infrastructure repairs. A recent legislative report distorts historical facts, ignores present realities and recommends seizure of a public asset. This seizure will cost current ratepayers more. It’s the wrong time to force this questionable model down ratepayers’ throats.

2. Do you support granting domestic-partner rights and/or benefits to Buncombe County employees? (Yes/No) Why?
Yes. All employees should be treated equally. There should not be two classes of employees.

3. Do you favor offering tax breaks and other economic-development incentives to companies that agree to move here or expand existing facilities and hire local workers? (Yes/No) Why?
Yes. Until the game of state incentives changes, I will be supportive of participating in this effort on behalf of our community, assuming the “end results” are worthy (the number of jobs, amount of wages and property investment).

4. Do you think the county should make funding the Connect Buncombe greenways a high priority? (Yes/No) Why?
Yes. Investments in greenways have multiple public benefits — transportation, recreation, health and job recruitment! New Belgium cited greenways as a reason for locating their business here.

5. What’s the most important role of county government in job creation?
Working collaboratively with other governmental entities to invest in our quality of place and educate our workforce.

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.