Occupation: Buncombe County Commissioner, retired race engine builder
Website: avl.mx/2c2
Xpress: Should we consolidate the Asheville and Buncombe County school systems? Why or why not?
This has been discussed, and I believe it would be unlikely to happen, as both seem to be functioning well at this time.
What are your top concerns regarding county residents’ health? What would you support to fix those problems?
We have many resources available and continue working on these existing problems at this time.
Do you support giving companies economic incentives to relocate/expand in Buncombe County? Should companies receive economic incentives even if not all the jobs they provide are living-wage?
I have never liked the idea of incentives, but until the federal government and/or state government addresses this issue, we are forced to make tough decisions in order to save and create jobs for Buncombe County residents.
What neighborhood/area do you live in? What are those residents’ concerns?
The two concerns of many are the ever-increasing property taxes and job creation.
Given the county’s financial state, would you consider raising property taxes in the next two years? Would you try to cut the budget? If so, in what areas?
I do not support raising property taxes again, and there are many ways to prevent that from happening by being cost-effective and not adding more debt at this time.
What’s one recent Board of Commissioners decision you disagree with? How would you have handled it differently?
I was against spending taxpayers’ dollars on property without a commitment from a potential buyer.
What do you bring to the table that your opponent can’t?
Experience. Not only have I resided in Buncombe County for 50 years, I also owned a business for 30 years and have served on the Board of Commissioners for almost four years. I’ve worked hard to create change before I became a commissioner and have continued to do so during my service to
this community.
Would you support measures to encourage job growth outside the city center? If so, what measures?
I will always support bringing new jobs into other sectors of Buncombe County and have been working on this as one of my top priorities.
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.