Ill continue to improve the transit system, our sidewalks and bike lanes, and Ill work to close food deserts so we can offset our higher housing costs with lower transportation costs. I would have aggressively lobbied the TDA to provide funding to help implement Year 1 by demonstrating the benefits of transit for not only our residents, but also our visitors. Balance means saying no to the things that will not serve our people in the long run. Hundreds of community members have seen me during the moments when I couldnt see myself. Look at what feels like home here. Name three achievable goals you would champion in the next two years. Thats a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall. The region is now downright hostile to Republicans, with their margin of defeat expanding by 75,000 votes from 2012 to 2016. Hopefully I can help with assisted living and Section 8 in Asheville. Yet presidential races here have gotten competitive ever since 2008, when Barack Obama became the first Democratic candidate in 32 years to win it. Ive talked to so many locals who have lived here their whole lives and feel like we are becoming a tourist town. Republicans held city hall for 22 years, losing it narrowly during Barack Obamas presidency, and Obama was the first modern Democratic presidential candidate to decisively win Charlottes Mecklenburg County. How that happened, in many ways, a more interesting story than the fantasia of locals waking up one day to see the Red Army marching down Pack Square. With adequate staff and resources, this could be a critical tool in fighting gentrification and creating permanent affordability. I would have aggressively lobbied the TDA to provide funding to help implement Year 1 by demonstrating the benefits of transit for not only our residents, but also our visitors. We want everyone to have access to our stories. Reduce car dependency with reliable transit and comprehensive sidewalks and greenways. Our Keep Asheville Weird slogan is being erased and replaced by a Keep Asheville Gentrified slogan. Ive attended Council meetings for five years, advocating for investment in transit, the Housing Trust Fund, increased base-rate pay for employees like our firefighters, our tree canopy and environmental sustainability. Last year, City Council declined to fund extended hours for transit. Amount of money raised:Under threshold Which recent City Council budget decision(s) do you disagree with, and what would you have done differently? Occupation: Retail manager Democrats have held the governors office here for all but four years this century, and since the 1970s, no Senate race here has been won with more than 55 percent of the vote. Right now, the wait times are so high that people have to wait months on a waitlist and possibly never get called or notified in time that a place of residence has opened up for them. What makes Asheville home to you? With courageous leadership and collaboration, we are capable of moving toward a fare-free, regional transit system, which is at the intersection of equitable access, economic mobility and environmental sustainability; deeply affordable housing through creative, cooperative solutions; and a participatory democracy and budgeting process that ensures the people are heard in our budget and policy decisions. Invest in our sidewalks, roads, bus and water systems until they work. Website: ElectSandraKilgore.org City elections are notoriously low turnout, and in any city the same political terrain can produce a lot of different results depending on things like mood, immediate issues, leadership and organization. In a typical academic year, there are about 100,000 college students living in the region each November. Occupation:Financial adviser We must address equity in our schools and community so we can attract quality jobs and retain our people being gentrified out. I believe in our aspirational values of equity and inclusion and I want to see us build a city that lives up to those values. BPR's candidate questionnaire was created after asking voters for their questions and to share what issues matter most to them and their communities. Its the physical and cultural fabric of the city. Is that correct? The center/center-left has had enough of those three things to keep a hold on to Council seats. At the same time, both Chapel Hill and Davidson straight-out require developers to build affordable housing, something our city governments so far balked at. We must renew what is already special in Asheville and add quality in new ways. But over the past decade city governments politics have changed. I could second-guess any budget, and Im sure others will; however, in the wake of climate change, I should have made a more concerted effort toward allocating funds to go toward climate-resilient programs. The people. 2.) Postmasters at Asheville, 1800-1973(may be incomplete!) Asheville City Council Nonpartisan NC Regulation of Signs; Locate & Contact. Work in collaboration with educators and Buncombe County commissioners to pass a resolution in support of the public school budget request that has been put before the North Carolina legislature. Growth itself may be affecting one person, while someone else may be dealing with basic functions of life such as transportation. What actions would you support for Asheville to fight climate change and meet its 100% renewable energy goal by the established deadline of 2030? What actions would you support for Asheville to fight climate change and meet its 100% renewable energy goal by the established deadline of 2030? Yes, thats correct. Kim Roney. Even in swing states like North Carolina with a sizable religious conservative population opinion on the matter is now split down the middle. Website: TownsendForAVL.com As someone who knows firsthand what its like to struggle to make a living in Asheville, Ill prioritize policies and development that put our people first, bringing equity to our neighborhoods and building more affordable housing. Billy Martin, Marion, Democrat. The progressives went from an embattled faction that could snag occasional victories to winning repeated majorities in successive elections. For comparison, when I first started covering local government in 2005, the city was narrowly dominated by conservatives, with two conservative Democrats (then-Mayor Charles Worley and Jan Davis) and two Republicans (Joe Dunn and Carl Mumpower). Reduce urban sprawl with smart zoning and thoughtful development where the city can handle it. Expanding upon the written consent policy so that it includes pedestrians and bicyclists. Counties included: Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Gates, Greene, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne. Above: A pride flag flies from City Hall after the state's ban on equal marriage was struck down in October. I support installing solar panels on all city-owned buildings to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. That is not acceptable. Despite all their ambiguities and contradictions, left and right are roughly useful because they describe the factions we end up with in political fights and the broad coalitions that form in politics everywhere from protest movements to City Hall to national elections. Julie Mayfield instead filed for the N.C. Senate District 49 race, while Brian Haynes is stepping down to focus on social and environmental justice activism, paving the way for at least two newcomers to join the council. This idea is, bluntly, false, as plenty of political science research has shown. We must implement a Green New Deal for Asheville that includes a race and class analysis. A queer, abolitionist, community organizer, small business owner, music educator, and community radio producer, she was a founding member of Friends of Community Radio where she served as Station . Hi S Warren, Learn about Asheville Mayoral candidate Kim Roney's positions on housing, policing, climate, development, building an equitable Asheville and more. The mayors major annual speech identified her key goal as making the city as a platform for private investment. The Socialist International this aint. I will commit Asheville to a goal of citywide carbon neutrality by 2030. [6] Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous city. We must renew what is already special in Asheville and add quality in new ways. I will be pushing for the city to become its own affordable housing developer to build deeply affordable units, as well as working with the Chamber of Commerce on a jobs program that is currently in the works. City Council chose not to prioritize our development policies; I would have funded an overhaul of our Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) to prioritize affordable housing on transit corridors, protect and plant trees and keep neighborhoods walkable and climate resilient. That's absurd. That changed with the 2010 tea party wave, and since 2016 the state has been gripped by partisan warfare between Democratic Gov. By the time Council put the flag on City Hall, same-sex marriage was legal in 30 states, with support from a broad majority of the countrys population. Finally, I support creating an urban forest master plan and hiring an urban forester to protect and increase our tree canopy. The Political Climate in Zip 28806 (Asheville, NC) is Somewhat liberal. I support investing in renewables in ways that exempt low-income residents and affordable rents from increased costs. Key endorsements:City Council members Shenika Smith and Brian Haynes; Rev. Above: A pride flag flies from City Hall after the states ban on equal marriage was struck down in October. How will you balance Ashevilles growth while protecting the quality of life for current residents and the citys unique identity? But something happened in the ensuing years. So now Councils dominated by the center and center-left, with the occasional left-winger. With adequate staff and resources, this could be a critical tool in fighting gentrification and creating permanent affordability. Unlike parts of the Midwest, where defeat in 2016 came during a decline in Democratic turnout, the party actually gained ground with the Clinton-Kaine ticket. Only New Hanover County and the city of Wilmington got friendlier to Democrats, and only barely, with both Trump and Clinton winning more votes than the partys 2012 nominees. Make our infrastructure climate resilient to handle more frequent flooding and limit heedless construction that contributes to stormwater runoff and overburdens our systems. If all else changed, thats what Id want to protect. Victoria Pickens Accounting and Campaign Finance Specialist P: (828) 250-4214. While the city and people might change, the atmosphere is here to stay. But for comparison were in an era when major cities like Seattle are passing $15 an hour minimum wages and have outright socialists on their Council. Ill hold a higher standard through example for city employees, advocating for a $15 base rate and paid family leave while maintaining our living wage policy. Launch Ashevilles long-overdue zoning overhaul. Email us. She was elected mayor in November 2005, defeating incumbent Mayor Charles Worley in the October primary. Ill also advocate for a program to incentivize property owners to build ADUs [accessory dwelling units] specifically for long-term renters with housing choice vouchers, and Ill encourage the use of city-owned land for the development of permanently affordable housing. The name of each candidate is linked to their responses in the post: Website: N/A at this moment How will you balance Ashevilles growth while protecting the quality of life for current residents and the citys unique identity? The Triangle swung further left while the three regions Romney won grew redder. Editing by Terri Rupar. Of the three incumbents whose terms expire at the end of 2020, Keith Young alone is running to keep his seat. Drawing their key base from the secular upper middle-class and property owners, those policies are usually gradual, socially moderate to liberal and allied closely with business interests. Occupation:Security officer Until 2019, much of the region was represented in Congress by Republican Walter Jones, a former Democrat and deficit hawk who abandoned his support for the Iraq War and began voting against basically any bill that added debt or might lead to military intervention. We need to push back against the state so that we can implement a food and beverage tax, allowing for people who visit our city to contribute to funding things such as transit. For as little as $5 a month the cost of a craft beer or kombucha you can help keep local journalism strong. Previous candidacy or offices held: No Increase Ashevilles tree canopy and reduce our environmental impact by implementing a Green New Deal for Asheville that has a race and class analysis. One solution to affordable housing I would explore is a co-op relationship among the city, county and private investors to make it a win-win for all involved. Key endorsements: Mayor Esther Manheimer; City Council member Vijay Kapoor; Gene Bell, former director of the Asheville Housing Authority; Matthew Bacoate We need to steer new growth in a different direction. I was fortunate to be born and raised in Asheville. What makes Asheville home to you? But I personally hope to meet up with HUD one day and see if they have any plans to help moderate the current oppressive living rate in Asheville at this time. My family has lived here for 20 years. The people here are fighters and deep lovers. We shouldnt raise property taxes each time there is a deficit. Warren Daniel, Morganton, Republican. Multiple times covering politics in this city, Ive heard some version of this jab from liberal and left-leaning activists when outsiders express surprise at the citys de facto segregation or its relative lack of affordable housing, unions and high wages: Oh, Ashevilles run by conservatives, they just dont hate gay people. Make of that what you will. NC STATE SENATE . As time went on, some of these groups gathered more money, more organization, more experience and more sheer numbers to work with. Questions? Which recent City Council budget decision(s) do you disagree with, and what would you have done differently? U.S. House of Representatives District 11 Republican But the tax dollars are largely going to things intended to spur private development, even though the center-left will usually direct a bit more of that money to housing or social programs than the center-right does. In Asheville, the aversion to direct criticism combined with low turnout and an emphasis on resume over platform tend to make some of these divisions even less clear. Similarly in politicswe nibbled around the edge of our problems until they broke us, isnt exactly how any government wants to go down in history. So many memories simply just makes it my home. Sometimes thats a really terrible idea. Which recent City Council budget decision(s) do you disagree with, and what would you have done differently? Leverage my role as a community leader and city councilor to deepen collaboration between nonprofits, businesses, local governments and community members to achieve goals around climate resiliency, the opportunity gap and responsible planning. Its walking down streets and knowing the neighbors, the store owners and their children. By contrast, one could expect a more left-leaning city government to direct more of those funds to social programs (or raise taxes farther) while a right-wing one would flat out abhor any tax increases on property owners and opt for cuts to services and taxes instead. What makes Asheville home to you? Ill also advocate for a program to incentivize property owners to build ADUs [accessory dwelling units] specifically for long-term renters with housing choice vouchers, and Ill encourage the use of city-owned land for the development of permanently affordable housing. Previous candidacy or offices held:Elected secretary of East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association for 2019 Republicans gained nearly 90,000 votes, as support for third parties surged from 60,000 votes to nearly 200,000 votes. Key endorsements: Mayor Esther Manheimer; City Council member Julie Mayfield; Alan Glines, former Asheville city planner; Jeff Staudinger, Asheville Community Land Trust consultant; Franzi Charen, founder of Asheville Grown Business Alliance How will you balance Ashevilles growth while protecting the quality of life for current residents and the citys unique identity? Top three donors: Did not respond. Were pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. What actions would you support for Asheville to fight climate change and meet its 100% renewable energy goal by the established deadline of 2030? This is a good time to look at renewable energy companies as possible partners and incentivize startups that are paying living wages. Election Services 59 Woodfin Place Asheville, NC 28801. In this years polls, Joe Biden has remained tied or ahead of the president, Cooper has held a wide lead in his reelection bid, and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis has frequently trailed Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham. Kim Roney walks, bikes, and rides the bus, and she currently serves on City Council in Asheville, the ancestral land of the Cherokee/Anigiduwagi. The former was the first candidate to declare her run, announcing in May 2019, while the latter is both the youngest candidate (at 23) and the only registered Republican in the nonpartisan race. How will you balance Ashevilles growth while protecting the quality of life for current residents and the citys unique identity? My children were born here and go to city schools. Then along comes another powerful illusion: the myth of the independent. Key endorsements:Ponkho Bermejo, co-director of Beloved Asheville; Brad Rouse, executive director of Energy Savers Network; Daniel Suber, youth coordinator at Asheville Writers in the Schools and Community; Cathy Walsh, member of the Asheville Tree Protection Task Force, Blue Ridge Naturalist Society and Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society In my profession, we say rising incomes are the best way to counter rising costs. By JOHN NORTH. Their model for constantly increasing density to meet tax revenues to meet infrastructure growth is flawed and not working. How will you as a City Council member help Ashevilleans cope with the rising cost of living? Expand infill options to produce incremental growth without overwhelm. Under this view, there are two parties with highly partisan positions and a great, undecided centrist mass that shares some views with both but really wants some great compromise position to come forward. I will strategize responsible locations to preserve green space, limit new infrastructure and reduce transportation costs, which can cost 25% of income. Thanks!!!! What actions would you support for Asheville to fight climate change and meet its 100% renewable energy goal by the established deadline of 2030? While such incentives arent particularly popular among parts of the left or right for different reasons, its a hallmark of centrist urban politics and hence (with somewhat different emphases) center-left and center-right city governments. Thursday, 20 January 2022 19:11. This is especially true in regard to infrastructure: our parks, streets and sidewalks. To explain why a Trump-won state remains so competitive, weve sorted North Carolina into six political states. In each of them, small shifts in the vote could be decisive and in some of them, there may not be many more votes to switch. Much of the Democratic Partys optimism about North Carolina comes from here, the fast-growing area around the state capital, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. How will you as a City Council member help Ashevilleans cope with the rising cost of living? Weve seen a huge boom of hotels and tourist spots. Sandra Kilgore, Rich Lee and Sage Turner all plan to address Ashevilles affordable housing problems through better use of existing tools such as a revamped Unified Development Ordinance, public-private partnerships and the citys community land trust. 34 min read. I support it, and so should Council. Two political newcomers round out the field: Kristin Goldsmith and Larry Ray Baker. The items destroyed which were water bottles had been repeatedly used as weapons towards the poli I feel that Council is on the right track in seeking outside consultants like the Urban Land Institute to come in and provide additional information before making many decisions concerning growth. I would like to have access to that information before offering my opinion as to balancing the growth while protecting the life for current residents and retaining the citys unique identity. Another I like isnt on the ballot. Facebook; Twitter; Break; Instagram; YouTube; Stay in the loop. It does, from privatization pushed by conservative think-tanks to participatory budgeting or the Right to the City movement on the left. Meanwhile, the center-right and conservatives have money and organization, but problems rallying sufficient numbers to beat their rivals because of those changing demographics. Is Ashevilles government particularly left-wing? Asheville, NC 28802, or delivered in person to 50 Coxe Ave., Asheville. Ill direct the city manager to issue RFPs for city-owned land for the development of permanently affordable housing. N.C. Senate District 48 Democratic Previous candidacy or offices held:Asheville City Council Which recent City Council budget decision(s) do you disagree with, and what would you have done differently? In the last Presidential election, Buncombe county . Contact. Top three donors:Nicole Townsend (Self), Katheryn Shem, Amy Mandel. Photo by Max Cooper. Most of all, I couldnt stay away from family, lifelong friends and the deeply connected community networks that make up our city. Raleigh was all right, but it just didnt feel like home. I recently knocked on the door of the home where my great-grandmother was born in Kenilworth in 1910, and as I think about long-term accountability, I consider my now-adult students Ive known since they were in elementary school. Hours of Operation. We must tackle the spending of our tax dollars on tourism marketing, coordinating with the county and state to change our occupancy tax allocation and use. Viewing it automatically as such is a major problem in our political culture. Asheville can do this by attracting good-paying jobs from other industries. We need these resources for infrastructure, deeply affordable housing, a downtown shuttle and park and ride service to get ourselves and visitors around without cars and a leap forward in accessibility and sidewalks. Others, including the three candidates endorsed by Mayor Esther Manheimer, look to refine rather than disrupt city systems. The other two members of the four-man team that is running as a bloc for Asheville mayor's and three City Council seats in a quest "to end one-party control of Asheville for the last 70 years" shared their backgrounds and aspirations for the city during separate interviews on Jan. 29 with the Daily Planet.