Wanna be a Council member?

The city of Asheville is now taking applications from people interested in replacing outgoing City Council member and Buncombe County commissioner-elect Holly Jones, who today submitted her letter of resignation.

The selection process was triggered when Jones won her bid for a seat on the county board Tuesday night. Her departure leaves an empty seat on Council, and the remaining six members will have to pick a replacement to finish out the last year of Jones’ term.

On Thursday, Jones submitted her letter of resignation from the Council, effective Dec. 1, the same day she will be sworn in as a county commissioner.

The application period, open until noon on Nov. 26, is the next step in a new selection process approved by Council in October. Applications are available through the City Clerk’s office at Asheville City Hall, and applicants must be registered to vote in Asheville.

The process was suggested as an alternative to the practice of appointing to the seat whomever got the fourth-highest vote count in the last Council election.

On Dec. 2, Council members will determine which applicants they want to interview. On Dec. 9, they will conduct interviews and vote to appoint a seventh member. The new Council member will be sworn in on Dec. 12.

For information or an application, contact the City Clerk’s office at 259-5601 or mburleson@ashevillenc.gov.

Brian Postelle, staff writer

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.

One thought on “Wanna be a Council member?

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.