You asked, they answered: sage advice from Buncombe County Commissioner Al Whitesides, Dr. Carl Mumpower (chair of the Buncombe County GOP), Abby Roach (aka The Spoon Lady), former City Council member Cecil Bothwell, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Asheville City Council member Julie Mayfield.
As Asheville gears up to begin a new chapter in its administration, Xpress asks what lessons, if any, can be learned from Jackson’s time as the city’s top employee. But given the reluctance of so many current and former city officials to discuss either Jackson’s firing or his legacy, any final assessment of this recent history may have to wait.
The author reads from his new book Aug. 4 at Malaprop’s.
SATIRE: Former County Manager Wanda Greene receives three ghostly visits in this story from the Xpress Humor Issue.
Asheville voters turned out in relatively high numbers on Tuesday, Nov. 7 to reelect two incumbents and significantly increase the diversity of City Council.
“I’ve had an opportunity to get to know Sheneika during this year’s campaign, and she is the real deal.”
“It is my suggestion that he admit he needs to grow and to begin to take the lead from the powerful voices that have been speaking to him for years from the African-American community.”
“In three years of watching Asheville politics — and Cecil — I’ve come to appreciate him as a smart, creative and sometimes cantankerous asset, deeply committed to our city.”
“It has been an honor serving with Cecil Bothwell on Asheville City Council. I know that he will always fight for fairness and equality for our citizens.”
“As always, Cecil continues to fight consistently and powerfully to protect the very soul of our fair city against outside interests.”
Who can afford to live here and how can we all live together? Those questions formed the crux of the conversation among Asheville City Council candidates at a Sept. 18 forum where two issues garnered strong and varying viewpoints: the lack of affordable housing and persistent racial tensions in Asheville.
“He has tirelessly displayed the courage of his convictions advocating for affordable housing, a living wage, social and economic justice, better public transportation, more public parks and green spaces, and a commitment to consider climate change in every decision he makes personally and as a community leader. “
Six candidates for Asheville City Council participated in a forum hosted by the Asheville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America on Sept. 13. Hot topics included affordability and police reform.
“If you want to make downtown’s grating, gravel Pit of Despair into a pinnacle of pastoral park pleasure, vote for Cecil Bothwell for Asheville City [Council].”
“The positions that Cecil takes are based on his determination to be a voice for residents and our quality of life.”
When activists hired Spanish-language interpreters for the May 23 meeting of Asheville City Council, some community members questioned why local government bodies aren’t already providing interpretation services at all public meetings.
Asheville senior gardeners who live in the Battery Park and Vanderbilt apartments are hard at work installing planters and other elements that will make up their new community garden on city-owned land at 33-35 Page Ave. A group of teens pitched in on June 7 to help with the effort.
Asheville and Buncombe County have worked for several years on plans to reduce the area’s solid waste stream, but implementing “pay as you throw” and municipal composting programs remain in the realm of good ideas rather than reality or even future plans. But the city says it hasn’t given up on initiatives to divert more waste away from the landfill.
Asheville City Council voted unanimously to accept the recommendations presented by a volunteer citizen panel as the basis for soliciting design services on on Tuesday, March 28. But the community vision presented by the Haywood Street Advisory Team leaves a lot of room for interpretation — and possibly for future controversy about the long-debated best uses for the site.
Expanded bus routes and hours could help more Asheville residents gain consistent access to healthy food. But a more effective city transit system may be a little way down the road.