Legal or not, there are still questions

Posted on by Michael N. Lewis

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the sale of City/County Plaza property to Stewart Coleman was legal. Then you also have to ask: Why was it sold at a discount of approximately 40 percent from the market value?

Why, then, did the county reappraise the property and reduce the taxes on it by over $3,000? There are lots of people in Buncombe County who are wondering if they can continue to live on their property and pay the taxes. With annexation under attack, the TDA against a prepared-food-and-room tax (some of which would go to the city), and the city burdened by the Sullivan Acts—where is the city going to get its operating funds?

And if the sale was illegal, who in the county administration has been terminated or disciplined or tried for incompetence or outright criminal conduct?

— Michael N. Lewis
Asheville

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2 thoughts on “Legal or not, there are still questions”

  2. Rebecca

    Michael asks a good question. This is the same county govt where Mr. No Zoning Ramsey makes millions off of the Cliffs project — hey that’s all legal too. No conflict of interest on this guy making his fortune because applicable regs were consistently delayed and blocked by Ramsey — remember how the Cliffs politely declined to comply with the new regs? This is the same county admin. where the county attorney, Michael Frue, outsources his foreclosure to his BROTHER, John C. (Jack) Frue. No nepotism there. They’re used to getting away with it, which is why they get so mad when anybody points anythng out.

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