In a process not open to the public, Council has selected a committee of “key community leaders” to help review candidates for the most powerful unelected official in city government. City spokesperson Polly McDaniel said the panel will provide “input and perspective on a list of candidates,” adding that members “will serve in an advisory role.”
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.
Candidates from across the country have until Monday, July 30, to apply for the most powerful staff position in Asheville city government. The role, currently filled by interim City Manager Cathy Ball, oversees all of the city government’s daily operations and advises Council members as they develop long-term plans.
The Asheville City Council will make one of its most consequential decisions when it hires its next city manager, a powerful administrator with broad authority for most aspects of city government. To inform its search, the Council is gathering input from residents.
City Council discussed police reforms during a work session on March 20 and ousted longtime City Manager Gary Jackson, who was about nine months away from retirement.
City Manager Gary Jackson hosted a Development Forum on Friday, Nov. 18 to provide updates on growth, construction, planning, zoning, utilities and the recently approved $74 million city bond referendum.
Greg & Andi’s Curbside Coffee — a coffee truck on Charlotte Street — has closed at the end of a non-renewable 180-day permit. Photo by Ayana Dusenberry.
