Live Twitter coverage of Asheville City Council swearing-in Marc Hunt, Chris Pelly and Jan Davis, as well as selecting a Vice Mayor.
Tag: Asheville City Council
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Asheville City Council preview: Who’s going to be Vice Mayor?
Asheville City Council will have a short organizational meeting this evening to swear in new members Marc Hunt and Chris Pelly, welcome back Jan Davis for a third term and bid farewell to Brownie Newman and Bill Russell. They’ll also select a Vice Mayor, a position that could be more important than usual in the coming two years.
Asheville City Council passes Civic Center renaming deal with U.S. Cellular
At their Nov. 22 meeting, Asheville City Council members voted 6-1 to approve a $1.3 million deal that gives U.S. Cellular naming rights to the Asheville Civic Center in an attempt to help renovate the aging facility. But other companies or organizations that want to counter-bid have a chance to do so — up till Dec. 31. During public comment on the matter, many speakers took issue with the deal, asserting it gives a corporate face to a unique piece of infrastructure with little return.
LIVE: Coverage of Nov. 22 Asheville City Council meeting
Follow live Twitter coverage of the Nov. 22 Asheville City Council meeting, including a vote on the controversial proposal to rename the Asheville Civic Center the U.S. Cellular Center.
Asheville City Council preview: name wars
A controversial proposal to rename the Asheville Civic Center the “U.S. Cellular Center” is at the top of a busy agenda for Asheville City Council tonight.
*UPDATE* With recount complete, Davis edges out Gray by 35 votes in City Council race
UPDATE: A recount of the votes completed and certified by the Buncombe County Board of Elections this afternoon, Nov. 18, didn’t significantly change the results of the election. Incumbent Jan Davis retained his third place finish – and his seat on Asheville City Council – by a total of 35 votes over challenger Lael Gray.
Letters to the editor: U.S. Cellular edition
Xpress received a large volume of letters about the proposed agreement between the city of Asheville and U.S. Cellular. Announced on Nov. 10, the deal would grant naming rights to the Chicago-based company in exchange for an investment of “up to $1.3 million over eight years.” The deal is subject to Council approval, scheduled for the Nov. 22 meeting. Dozens of readers responded with a similar argument — the negotiations were too covert; corporate sponsorship clashes with Asheville’s distinct character; the bidding process for such a deal should be open — but many of the perspectives are unique. Two readers applaud the potential deal. In the following special post, Xpress compiled the letters on the proposed agreement. (Image provided by U.S. Cellular.)
I’ll never tire of Jan Davis’ honesty and integrity
It's the day after the City Council elections and I don't know if Jan Davis has been voted in or not, but I had an experience today that cemented even more why he would be an excellent choice (again) for Asheville City Council. A few weeks ago I was told by a local car dealer […]
Civic Center renaming needs to be negotiated with citizens
Asheville City Council needs to vote “no” on naming the Asheville Civic Center the U.S. Cellular Center (it sounds like a place to take your cell phone). It was very, very deceptive of City Council member Jan Davis to not mention this renaming before the election and to decide on it and not ask the […]
Election night comes to blows *updated*
Council member Gordon Smith was hit in the head by Lael Gray’s campaign manager, David Roat, at an election-night party, according to reports. Here, Smith describes the fracas. “I went to Lael’s party, I was giving her a hug and I got hit in the back of the head,” Smith says. “I went into a crouch, there were a few more blows, he was pulled off of me, and it was over.” (Photo by Bill Rhodes.)
An election nail-biter: Jan Davis squeaks into third by 40 votes
In the Nov. 8 Asheville City Council election, incumbent Council member Jan Davis trailed challenger Lael Gray most of the evening. But in the end, he squeaked ahead by 40 points. This photo by Max Cooper shows what a nerve-wracking cliff hanger it was.
Election Day: Hunt, Pelly win Council seats; Davis, Gray likely headed for recount; sales tax passes
With all city precincts reporting, Marc Hunt and Chris Pelly have won seats on Asheville City Council. Incumbent Jan Davis has come in a mere 40 votes ahead of Lael Gray, meaning the race is likely headed for a recount. With all precincts reporting, the A-B Tech sales tax referendum has passed. (Photos by Bill Rhodes)
Please, Mayor Bellamy: don’t blame the messenger
If the Occupy Asheville movement has cost the city of Asheville any extra money in pay for our police, that responsibility lies with Mayor Terry Bellamy and not the Occupy Movement [”Fully Occupied,” Nov. 8 Xpress]. It is the mayor’s view that the movement is dangerous that has caused the larger problem. So far, her […]
Flier fight: Candidates differ on mailer
A flier funded by local businessman Chris Peterson and bearing a mocking, photoshopped picture of Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell, encouraging voters to back Council member Jan Davis and candidate Mark Cates has led to a condemnation by an advocacy group and public criticism. Davis has released a statement asserting he is unhappy with his inclusion in the flier, noting, “I do not believe in trickery and dirty campaigning.” Cates, meanwhile, has released a statement saying he understands’ Peterson’s view.
Local Matters: How green are your Asheville City Council candidates?
In this podcast, Xpress Green Scene reporter Susan Andrew discusses a recent environmental questionnaire answered by all six Asheville City Council candidates.
“You are beneath contempt:” Bothwell voicemail to Dunn leads to fracas
A public dispute has arisen over Asheville City Council member and congressional candidate Cecil Bothwell‘s angry voicemail to Joe Dunn, after the former Council member wrote a letter to the Asheville Citizen-Times criticizing Bothwell and Council candidate Lael Gray.
How green is your government? City Council candidates say, ‘We are!’
Environmental concerns are important to many Ashevillians, but how deeply has the green ethic permeated local leadership? Here’s what the six candidates vying for three seats on the City Council had to say. Photo by Susan Andrew.
Gray is a leader and a listener
I am writing to support the candidacy of Lael Gray for City Council. I have known Lael as we were both serving on the Board of Building Bridges. I have seen her creativity, energy and commitment to making Asheville a more welcoming and pleasant town. She has shown her ability to collaborate with others in […]
I’m going Gray
It’s not every day you get the opportunity to vote for a candidate as refreshing and inspiring as Lael Gray. This July, I kept waiting for a candidate I could wholeheartedly support to come along. While I have closely monitored local political races for years, Lael is the only Asheville City Council candidate who has […]
Lael Gray is the best
I am Lael Gray's 10-year-old daughter and she is running for City Council. She is an advocate for the environment, she wants less cars on the road so there will be less pollution in the air, leaving crisp, healthy Asheville air. She believes in equality for women, African-Americans and the LGBT community. She participates in […]
Fully occupied
Asheville City Council Oct. 25, 2011 meeting Protesters’ usage fees waived City, MSD form joint task force on water system Occupy Asheville protesters packed the Council chamber and an overflow room during Asheville City Council's Oct. 25 meeting, picking up where they’d left off two weeks before. In the interim, some 30 to 50 protesters […]
