“There are a host of things the city and county could do to help small businesses thrive, but for a start the city and county can simply do their jobs,” says Tod Leaven, who is one of six candidates vying for three open seats on Asheville City Council.
County trash rates could increase with new provider
If the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approves a contract next month with global waste management company FCC Environmental Services, whose U.S. headquarters is in Texas, residents will see an almost $5 a month increase on their trash bills next year.
Sustaining community: A conversation with Asheville City Council candidate Roberto ‘Bo’ Hess
“A common misconception about Asheville City Council is that members are distant from everyday community concerns. In truth, Council members are community members too, deeply invested in Asheville’s well-being,” says Roberto “Bo” Hess, who is one of six candidates vying for three open seats on Asheville City Council.
What would BID safety ambassadors bring to downtown?
Safety and hospitality ambassadors for a downtown Asheville business improvement district would be perceived as a welcome addition by some — additional “eyes and ears” on the street. But others aren’t sure that such a program is a priority.
Sustaining community: A conversation with Asheville City Council candidate Charles “CJ” Domingo
“We need to reach across the gaps between neighborhoods, across industries and between social groups to talk to folks older and younger than ourselves and ask what they can teach us,” says Charles “CJ” Domingo, who is one of six candidates vying for three open seats on Asheville City Council.
Web of Mission Health litigation grows. Buncombe seeks to join attorney general’s case against HCA.
Buncombe County’s proposal, filed April 3, is just the latest development in the web of litigation that HCA faces over its management of Mission Health, which operates hospitals and other health care services in several Western North Carolina counties.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Terri Wells
Commissioner Terri Wells is seeking reelection in 2024, representing the newly drawn District 2.
Police officers struggle to afford Asheville addresses
Roughly 86% of Asheville Police officers live outside of the city limits, according to Asheville Police Department spokesman Samantha Booth.
County to implement language access plan
Buncombe joined representatives from eight other municipalities and counties around the state to form a language access collaborative, which met throughout 2023 to develop a language access plan.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Bruce O’Connell
Bruce O’Connell is running as an unaffiliated candidate for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 2.
WTF?: How Buncombe conducts property reappraisals
The county derives 62% of its more than $400 million budget from property taxes, which relies on the accurate assessment of thousands of properties, a process that happens every four years in Buncombe County. State law requires counties to perform reappraisals at least once every eight years.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Paul Benjamin
Paul Benjamin, a Republican, is running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 1.
Council weighs tax increase, budget cuts to fund pay raises
Asheville City Council learned during an April 9 budget work session that a 4.11% pay raise for city employees next fiscal year would drive the city’s undesignated general fund balance below its preferred minimum.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Jennifer Horton
Jennifer Horton, a Democrat, is running for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 1.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Van Duncan
In February, former Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan surpassed the 8,295 signatures required to get on this year’s ballot for chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. Duncan, a one-time Democrat who served as sheriff from 2006-18, is running as an unaffiliated candidate.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Parker Sloan
Incumbent Buncombe County Commissioner Park Sloan will run in an uncontested race for this District 3 seat. Sloan joined the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in 2020, where he serves as chair of the newly formed Buncombe County Climate and Environment Committee.
County advances affordable housing development on Coxe Avenue
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 on April 2 to invite private developers to partner on a $59.1 million complex for 200 affordable units at 50 and 52 Coxe Ave., directly across from the Asheville Regional Transit bus station and Rabbit Rabbit music venue.
Sustaining community: A conversation with local candidate Amanda Edwards
Democrat Amanda Edwards announced her bid for chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in October, where she currently serves as a commissioner for District 3. If elected in November, Edwards would become the first female chair.
Planning Board updates proposed STR rules ahead of public hearing
The proposed changes will be considered at a public hearing Monday, April 22, at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium starting at 5:30 p.m. in which planning board members will vote on whether to approve the recommendations.
Council greenlights Ferry Road mixed-income development
Hundreds of units of mixed-income housing are coming to a Ferry Road property, resolving years of uncertainty over the use of the land.
Buncombe considers incentives to convert short-term rentals to affordable housing
At its meeting on Tuesday, April 2, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will consider launching a pilot program that could transition up to 20 units from STRs to affordable long-term rentals for residents in its first year.