“When you have one party controlling Asheville/Buncombe government, either Republican or Democrat, the fox is guarding the henhouse.”

“When you have one party controlling Asheville/Buncombe government, either Republican or Democrat, the fox is guarding the henhouse.”
“I am feeling upset, mad, frustrated and disappointed with Asheville’s city and county government as I write this tonight as well as all of the local churches.”
“After daily trips along Asheville’s streets over the past few years, I can report that Asheville’s streets are among the worst in the country.”
“All of this begs the question: Who is this city built for? “
“I can accept liberal incrementalism unless it is fake, but it does demand that we decide on the first increment, and for me, increment No. 1 is stopping active abuse of the poor by municipal government.”
“Eight percent of our urban forest — all the trees in Asheville — were lost in the past 10 years.”
“The question that arises for me is: How could we, as a local community ‘prepare for war’?”
Asheville
“We should strive for real, long-term benefits to our citizens rather than just letting the catchword ‘affordable’ create a massive debt with possibly little return.”
Citizen activists, members of Asheville’s Tree Commission and city officials are exploring the possibility of increased oversight on how trees are managed within the city limits. But with a lack of definition in key parts of the city’s policy, and obstacles at the state level impeding regulations on private property, updating Asheville’s tree ordinances is proving to be an uphill battle.
“Asheville: center for creative arts and intellectual pursuits. East Asheville Library: the fourth most used library in the system. Yet poor Asheville government can’t provide what’s called the ‘core of communities.'”
New water resources director Jade Dundas runs an organization of almost 150 employees with an annual budget of over $35 million. But how does the Kansas native stay focused on the daily work of serving the water needs of over 124,000 customers amid the uncertainty surrounding the ownership of Asheville’s water system?
The head of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce says she’s hopeful that efforts underway to improve efficiency in the city Development Services Department will make it easier for developers to get their projects built. Kit Cramer serves on the Development Customer Advisory Group, which was created to provide input for improving the department. The […]
From the Get It! Guide: Government is pervasive and omnipresent that it may be easy to think that an individual voice will not be heard. But Timothy Sadler doesn’t think that’s the case — in fact, he says, getting involved in local government is just a matter of learning the ropes.
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.)