Buncombe County Taxpayers Lose Advocate
Don Yelton, a tireless advocate for Buncombe County taxpayers and a relentless investigator of government corruption, passed away last week, leaving behind a legacy of uncovering wrongdoing and exposing the convictions of county officials such as former County Manager Wanda Greene, who was sentenced to seven years for federal program fraud, tax evasion, and accepting kickbacks.
Budget Decision: Buncombe Co. Raises Tax Rate to Support Teacher Pay Raises Amidst Challenges
At the last minute, the Buncombe County Commissioners responded to public outcry to raise teacher pay, but they decided to do this by raising taxes. Chair Brownie Newman and Commissioner Amanda Edwards pointed out the irony in having to force some citizens to give up their homes in order to pay teachers enough to become homeowners. Newman also called for a meeting with Asheville City Schools to find out what they are doing with all the money the county gives them.
Medicaid Expansion Outlook in Buncombe
Medicaid Expansion is expected to insure 15,429 Buncombe County citizens who are currently without insurance. It would also create 38 new jobs in the county's Department of Health and Human Services and expand that department's budget by $3.4 million.
Local Historian Recognized at Council Meeting
Among other actions at the meeting, Weaverville Mayor Patrick Fitzsimmons presented local historian Jan Lawrence with a proclamation naming April 21st, Jan Lawrence Day in Weaverville.
Group’s Leader Questions Reliable Yield Study
The town council recently voted 5-2 to begin the expansion of their 1.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to three MGD at a cost of about $13 million. However, James Heinl of Save Ivy River is questioning a CDM Smith reliable yield study that the council used to support expanding the plant.
Homelessness Recommendations Spark Meltdown
In an epiphany, a wannabe reporter realizes she has wasted 20 hours a week for the most of her life laboring over words that mean nothing and come to naught. What's more, she's been torturing readers by repeating the verbiage, as if they're supposed to care. She swears, "Never again!"
Buncombe’s Asheville: Reparations Still Idling
On July 30, 2020, Devin Dwyer at ABC News asked if Asheville was a national model for reparations. Two and a half years later, with a $4.1 million budget, the reparations leadership continues to move forward—with planning.
Human Trafficking Awareness Remains Weak
President Joe Biden proclaimed January Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and Buncombe County followed suit. The gist of the presentation of the local proclamation was that Buncombe County, being a tourist town, may be somewhat of a hotbed for human trafficking, but nobody gave any clues about the extent of the problem.
Equitable Inconsistency: Criticism of the City’s Master Plan
Buncombe County says its 20-year comprehensive draft plan is supposed to be a document brought about by a democratic atmosphere of consensus while representing the residents’ wishes on the whole. Instead, it reads more like a manifesto written by socially-empowered people, virtue-signaling a particular perspective on the country’s history as a foundational presupposition for justifying […]
Buncombe’s 20-Year Plan: County Wants to Hear from Citizens
The draft plan for Buncombe County's next 20 years awaits your comment at a meeting on January 12.