Asheville – Early voting has already started in North Carolina, with Super Tuesday primaries on March 5th. Many people don’t choose to vote in primary elections, but the primaries are where it is decided who can run in the general election.
Some Changes in Voting Rules
You will need to bring some form of ID to vote this year. Early voting started on February 15 and runs through March 2. Make sure to bring proof of address and a photo ID if you plan to register and vote on the same day. Same-day registration will only be available during early voting.
Why Primary Voting Is So Important
Most people look to the bigger races, state and federal positions, and not at local races, but this year there are three city council seats coming open.
The all-female council has failed with homeless programs, leading to an increase in homelessness, negative national attention, and rising crime rates. They have also neglected infrastructure like the water system, parking garages, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, and the Malvern Hills Pool, despite knowing about pool issues since 2015.
Who’s Running for City Council?
There are seven candidates running for office: two incumbent members, Kim Roney and Sage Turner, and new candidates Tod Leaven, Kevan Frazier, CJ Domingo, Iindia Pearson, and Roberto “Bo” Hess.
Sage Turner
Sage Turner is running for reelection. Her platform includes more apartments, condos, and micro units along heavily traveled arteries like Tunnel Road and Patton Avenue, as well as rezoning to include incremental growth like backyard cottages, triplexes, and courtyards in our neighborhoods. Turner believes climate impacts and environmental sustainability should be considered in all actions we take. Turner wants to finalize long-term infrastructure and facilities capital planning, like getting neighborhood pools, roads, parking decks, and water pipes in full working order.
Kim Roney
Roney, also running for reelection, prioritizes equitable, affordable housing, disparities in race and gender, and conditional zoning that incentivizes deeply affordable housing development on transit corridors. Roney wants to update the Land Use Incentive Grant for sector-based housing like BeLoved. Climate and neighborhood resiliency are among her top priorities. Roney is running on public safety; however, her involvement in the Defund the Police movement and conflicts with the Asheville Police Department have led to her removal from the public safety committee.
Tod Leaven
Leaven believes our greatest challenge is affordable housing, especially for those who serve our community. He would like to build up, not out, and believes we should simplify the Unified Development Ordinance to promote more green space and a denser population. His first focus would be on fiscal responsibility, focusing first on core city services. Only when essential services such as infrastructure and the water system are fully funded will he spend money on other projects. Leaven also believes we should give APD better salaries and let them do their job.
CJ Domingo
Domingo reiterated that housing is our greatest issue. He would create and promote incentives for local homeowners to put an Accessory Dwelling Unit on their property with the requirement that they exclusively provide it for long-term rentals. Instead of focusing on Asheville’s carbon footprint, Domingo advocates for policies that prioritize protecting our natural habitats, implementing effective flood prevention, and enhancing our emergency response capabilities. He would like to make Asheville government efficient and transparent. Domingo believes that we’ll see a return of community policing as APD hires, trains, and retains more officers.
Kevan Frazier
Frazier wants to quickly adopt a framework for requiring affordable housing units for people with very low, low, and moderate income levels in new and renovated developments. To replace the missing middle housing in neighborhoods, he wants a variety of house-scale buildings with multiple units, including stacked fourplexes, townhomes, side-by-side and stacked duplexes, and live-work complexes. He sees addressing climate change as an issue like equity; it is a fundamental framework within which all our decisions should be made. He supports having a fully staffed police department.
Roberto “Bo” Hess
Hess aims to increase affordable housing options for Asheville’s workforce, including apartments, homes, and shelters, by providing support with housing deposits, application processes, and eviction protections. He also wants tax incentives for green building retrofits, to ensure city and county buildings are energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, to improve walkability and bike friendliness in Asheville. Additionally, he supports developing smaller homeless shelters distributed throughout the city.
Iindia Pearson
Pearson has little information. One account stated she wants affordable housing, better air quality, and that curbing crime should be done by the collective.