City
Council Candidates, Week 9
Joe Dunn
Jim Ellis
Ed Hay
Holly Jones
Carl Mumpower
Brownie Newman
Joe Dunn
The press has labeled me as a pro-business candidate! This is a
label that bothers me. I am a pro-Asheville candidate! I firmly
believe that Asheville needs a city council that is interested in
protecting neighborhoods as well as helping develop business. You
can have both. I do not live in "urban sprawl", I do not
live in "a smart growth area", I live in a neighborhood!
I do not like all those words written by the so-called experts that
call places people live by any other word! If you read my literature
and listen to what I have said since this campaign began, you can
see this is a issue that I think is very serious. I will not stand
for any rezoning of any neighborhood that destroys the existing
make up in that area. I do not feel neighborhoods should be the
target for unwanted development! I will stand by this promise.
I also feel that business should get a fair break by breaking down
the unfair red tape and regulations that exist today. Asheville
must grow it's tax base or else all neighborhoods will suffer by
higher property tax! My platform is to simply make it easier to
build and develop a better climate for economic expansion. This
can be done without destroying a neighborhood. Statements made by
other candidates that Asheville must be careful to get the "right
kind of jobs" bothers me. Who is smart enough to know what
the "right kind of job is" I feel any job is better than
no job.Why-----because high school kids out for the summer need
jobs, senior citizens like to stay busy on part-time jobs, some
of our citizens need work as they are going to school to better
themselves. There are six candidates for city council--all six of
us want high paying jobs in Asheville! But some feel that these
are the only jobs we must attract. I do not agree!!!! Every job
this city can muster is important! Every dollar earned by any of
our citizens is good for our city. Our city's economic growth is
slowing badly. If council does not get more active in attracting
those high paying jobs, that I want to see, then we all are in trouble--including
neighborhoods. So you see, good places that we all want to live
in are tied to businesses. We can have both! If elected, I pledge
to all of you that the place you call home is not at risk by city
government and it is my hope that you listen very carefully to what
I say and not what a newspaper says.
Biographical Information about Joe Dunn:
- Grew up in West Asheville
- BA degree, University of North Carolina
- DMD degree, University of Louisville
- Served three years active duty U.S. Navy
- Married--two children. My daughter is a cardiology nurse at
Mission hospital and my son is an Asheville firefighter!
- Served on Board of Deacons-First Baptist Church
- Serves as youth Sunday School teacher
- Past president--Buncombe County Dental Society
- Coached youth baseball 10 years-West and south Asheville
- Active in finding ways to provide access to dental care for
deserving children
- Retired after 26 years private practice
Jim Ellis
 If
the voters of Asheville give me the honor of serving on the Asheville
City Council, my primary objective will be to bring BALANCE to a
council that appears very divided.
I'm not fond of the label conservative or liberal or moderate as
every elected official or candidate may be conservative on some
issues, liberal on others and then sometimes take the middle. I
believe the label that best fits Jim Ellis is balanced. Recently
we seem to have a battle of neighborhoods vs. business, business
vs. the environment and city vs. the county. I feel this is destructive
and we must start working for all interests.
I have a varied working career with 10 years in small business,
20 years in organization management and 15 years in hospital administration.
Last year, I retired as business administrator of Black Mountain
Center, a state facility serving Alzheimer's patients and persons
who are mentally and physically challenged. Since that time and
many years prior, I have been involved in community volunteer work.
I currently serve as treasurer and board member of the Asheville
Buncombe Community Relations Council, board member of Blue Ridge
Mental Health and member of the Asheville Regional Airport Authority
and others. I am particularly proud to have served 8 years on the
board of trustees of UNCA and as chairman during my final year of
service.
As a member of the Community Relations Council, we worked on sponsoring
6 forums on such diverse topics as religion, education, the Confederate
flag and the development of downtown. This group is very involved
in the critical issue of graduation rates for young Black males
in Asheville. We also contract with HUD to provide mediation for
housing discrimination cases, a truly vital service for the Asheville
community.
My sincere thanks to the advertisers and publisher of the Candidates'
Forum for making this publication available to the candidates and
to all interested community citizens. I will be pleased to respond
to specific questions from citizens and the best method to reach
me is on my cell phone 606-9432.
Jim Ellis responded to the following Forum Q&A:
How will you deal with the Civic Center dilemma? How do you
think it should be managed and funded?
I support renovation of the Asheville Civic Center in a downtown
location. I am adamantly opposed to an increase in Asheville property
taxes to fund improvements. The North Carolina General Assembly
and citizens from throughout Western North Carolina need to be consulted
and involved in determining funding sources.
The Asheville Civic Center plays a vital role in the livability
of Western North Carolina. A desirable city must have a place for
entertainment, sports events and cultural activities. It is not
unlike water, sewer, education, safe neighborhoods, a clean environment,
public transportation, adequate shopping and all the services that
make a livable city. Many people say they want to attract high wage,
clean business to this area and I agree. Every company thinking
about expanding or relocating can pick from thousands of cities
and they will not select an area that does not provide adequate
entertainment, sports and cultural events.
Funding sources could include a seat tax, a small portion of the
general sales tax, food and beverage tax and hopefully the State
of North Carolina and a relationship with UNCA. I am open to discussing
a private management arrangement for the civic center and feel that
all parties involved in the funding should be consulted concerning
management.
Biographical Information about Jim Ellis:
Jim grew up in Asheville, joined the US Navy at 17, returned to
Asheville and completed 2 years at Asheville Biltmore Junior College.
During his working career, Jim completed numerous management programs
at Notre Dame University, Michigan State, Syracuse University and
the University of Georgia. He had a successful career in chamber
of commerce management and was CEO for Asheville, Lawrence, MA,
New Haven, CT and Hickory NC. He spent the last 15 years in hospital
administration and recently retired as business administrator of
Black Mountain Center. Jim is proud to have served as Chairman of
the Board of Trustees for UNCA and many other civic, charitable
and professional organizations. He now serves on the Asheville Airport
Authority, Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council, Blue
Ridge Mental Health and several other organizations.
Ed Hay
The results of the primary present our City with the task of electing
what is, in effect, a new City Council. Other than myself, no candidate
or present Council member was serving four years ago, and the "open"
seventh seat means that those elected this time will control appointment
of one more. Voters will need to ask themselves who it is they want
running their City, and, more fundamentally, in what direction should
we head.
I welcome new ideas and fresh approaches, and we are now certain
to get that. But I also believe that we have accomplished a great
deal in the past six years, and that we should be careful not to
squander our hard-won progress.
As I write this, I have just returned from an announcement at Buttonwood
Court, one of our affordable housing successes, where Mission-St.
Joe's was announcing their innovative new program to assist its
employees find housing. What struck me was that this great new idea
was built upon the work of the past: the house was built by Mountain
Housing Opportunities upon land purchased by the City for that purpose.
Partners in the program included lenders and non-profits who were
co-ordinating efforts. It was the culmination of a community effort
which began some time ago, and would not have happened without that
foundation having been laid.
We face an uncertain future. If you believe as I do that we have
been building a solid foundation, then our votes should reflect
a desire to keep that foundation in place. We must be willing to
be open to new ways of addressing old issues, but we must also be
cautious about making changes simply because we can. Candidates
with limited agendas or narrow viewpoints may not contribute to
the balanced approach which has worked well for us in the recent
past.
One unique aspect of life in our City is that we seem to be able
to identify common values, to agree about what it is that we like
about Asheville. We can address each issue as it arises with a sense
that, even in the face of strong differing opinions, we agree on
what is fundamentally important. It is more than simply "building
consensus", it is reaffirming community values by the way we
do things. And in Asheville, we do things by listening first, respecting
opinions, and making certain everyone feels heard. There is no role
for Council members who have made up their minds in advance.
I have served on Council for six years, and have worked hard to
earn your trust. I would like to continue to serve, to build on
our progress, to help carry our community values with us into the
next four years.
Ed Hay responded to the following Forum Q&A:
The question is whether I favor the openness at meetings which
characterized Leni Sitnick's tenure.
I have served under two mayors, both of whom I liked and respected.
Leni brought to the job a new definition of "open", which
has changed forever the way we do business in this city, and I like
the change. We can find ways to make the meetings more efficient,
perhaps, especially out of consideration for those who have to wait
for the next items on the agenda, but Leni always erred on the side
of letting people talk, and often our decisions were better as a
result. In addition, we now have more people participating in City
government (and running for office), which simply can't be a bad
thing. Leni showed them that they would be heard, and our City is
better for having that kind of government.
Biographical Information about Edward C. Hay, Jr.:
Home: 210 Blake Mountain Circle, Asheville, NC 28803 (828)
687-3723
Office: 137 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 255-8085
Email: hay@cheta.net
Fax: (828) 251-2760
Personal Information:
Age: 52
Education: Davidson College (1971), University of Georgia
School of Law (1974)
Managing Partner, Pitts, Hay, & Hugenschmidt, PA., Attorneys
at Law. In law practice in Asheville since 1976.
Wife: Diana Soileau (writer)
Four Children: Sarah, Mary, Craig Hay (college students),
Laura Buckner (junior at Asheville High)
Representative City Council activities:
- Vice Mayor (1997-1999)
- Chair, Task Force on the Future of the Civic Center
- Housing and Community Development Committee (Chair, 1997-1999)
- Economic Development Commission (city appointee)
- Board of Directors: Asheville-Buncombe Vision, Pack Place
- Liaison: Community Relations Council (former Board Member),
Civic Center Commission, Airport Authority, Asheville School Board
Representative Community Activities:
- Recipient, 1997 Circle of Excellence Award, Leadership Asheville
- Pisgah Legal Services (founding executive director)
- Helpmate, Inc (founding director and past president)
- Asheville-Buncombe Discovery (past president)
- Asheville Fair Housing Commission (past president)
- Building Bridges Steering Committee
- Consumer Credit Counseling Service (past president)
- Leadership Asheville Forum (past president)
- Legal Services of NC, Inc. (past State Board member)
- New Hope Medical Center
- First Presbyterian Church and related Presbytery Committees
Holly Jones
 With
less than two weeks left until November 6th, I want to thank the
many people that have shared their issues, concerns, and hope for
the future of our community. Over the last months, I've met with
a diverse range of people, including: Asheville teachers, African
American leaders, middle school students, private developers, West
Asheville neighbors, North Asheville neighbors, area retirement
homes, gay and lesbian citizens, and many many more.
Candidates tend to spend a lot of time talking, but I've been
fortunate to spend a lot of time listening. And what I've heard
is your commitment to the issues that that I and my running mate,
Brownie Newman, care about the most:
- Affordable housing;
- Quality education;
- Livable wage jobs;
- Sustainable growth.
People ask why Brownie and I are running together - and while we
each have strong and distinct voices - both of us share a progressive
vision for Asheville. Part of that vision is our belief in cooperative,
responsive government. And we're manifesting that vision in
our campaign. We want to model the cooperative spirit we hope
to see in City Council, and we know that by working together we
can give a stronger voice to progressive issues affecting Asheville.
Brownie and I have addressed many issues in this campaign and in
The Candidate's Forum. But many challenges that will face the
next City Council are yet unknown, and that's why I'd like to share
with you my framework for making decisions. The three
criteria I will use for making decisions are
- Is it fiscally sound?, i.e. does it address the basics of education,
health, and general welfare;
- Does the process build community rather than divide us?;
- Is it sustainable?
If elected to City Council, I will help develop an environment
that is cooperative and effective and that makes real improvements
in peoples' lives. We must find a new and better way for city
government to relate and respond to its citizens, developers, civic-minded
businesses, and neighbors.
It is time for new, progressive leadership on Asheville City
Council. I am committed to working for the issues that affect
our daily lives. Please vote for Holly Jones on November 6.
Biographical Information about Holly Jones:
Qualifications and Background
Education:
- Master of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, 1991-1993
- Master of Divinity, Duke Divinity School, 1984-1987
- Bachelor of Arts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
1980-1984
Employment:
Executive Director, YWCA of Asheville, 1996 to present
Responsibilities include: developing and managing $1.1 million
operating budget with eight program departments and 24,000 square
foot facility; Accomplishments include increased operating budget
66%; increased net assets 169%; completed $3.9 million capital
campaign; established collaborative relationships with 75+ entities.
Community activities:
Buncombe County Board of Health; North Carolina Human Relation's
Commission; Buncombe County Education Coalition; Kid's Voting;
Western NC HIV/AIDS Consortium; United Way Minority Involvement
Council; 2001 Athena Award from Asheville Chamber of Commerce
Neighborhood: Montford homeowner
Carl Mumpower
In the remaining weeks before the election, I will work to help
you make a clear determination on your vote. I intend to step forward
and address specific issues that will provide positive differentiation
from my fellow candidates.
Is it really neighborhoods versus business?
Most of us like things to be simple. It is easier to make choices
when one can define a situation from a good-bad and right-wrong
perspective. Consequently, there is a persisting temptation to establish
clarity by over simplifying the issues and candidate loyalties.
This temptation can seduce candidates, the media, and the voting
public. The current polarizing rhetoric about the struggle between
neighborhoods and business is an unfortunate example of this process.
Neighborhoods and business are often pitted against one another
because they appear to have opposing agendas. In reality, one cannot
effectively exist without the other. We all live in neighborhoods
and most of us afford these neighborhoods by making a living through
commerce. Trying to separate these two important forces is like
giving a person a choice between a heart and a brain. Both are critical
to a balanced life. There is an interdependent relationship between
neighborhoods and business interests that commands balance. When
this equilibrium is lost, we all suffer in one form or the other.
It's not about one group being the "good guys" and the
other the "bad guys" ~ we are all in this together. Good
leadership and a sense of community will find us taking a more sophisticated
look at the neighborhood-business relationship and positive sources
of balance…
The Civic Center
Few issues in recent years have generated as much controversy and
confusion as the Civic Center. Having served as the Chairman of
the Civic Center Commission (a differing body than the Task Force
~ the Commission focuses on operations) for the past 4 years, I
have a personal view of this issue. With the information on hand,
I support the plan to renovate our existing facility. My reasons
are specific~
- It is likely to cost twice as much to build a new facility as
to gut and rebuild what we have
- Civic Centers built outside of the city proper are typically
less economically successful.
- UNC-A and the county have not demonstrated a strong interest
in partnering on a new facility.
- Funding will come from revenue sources that fairly spread the
costs and not from property taxes.
- We are going to have a state of the art facility with seating
appropriate to a city of our size.
One of the biggest problems with the Civic Center issue is a lack
of community understanding and support. If elected, I will encourage
Council to step back briefly, complete a fast track reassessment
of the realistic options, work with the community to establish a
stronger consensus on our best option, and then move forward to
establish funding. Asheville should not undertake a project this
size without stronger community support.
Next Week ~ Political Action Committees
Carl Mumpower responded to the following Forum Q&A:
What is your take on the Regional Water Authority?
It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in conflict with our neighbors
over the current water agreement. Until a new agreement or authority
is established, I believe it is in our best interest to honor and
participate enthusiastically in what we have. There are economic
and regional leadership considerations in developing a true Regional
Water Authority. Of the possibilities currently on the table, a
Regional Water Authority that provides water, but allows local government
to maintain their own processing, distribution, and service system,
seems to be our most cost-effective and reasonable option. Our water
resources are a city asset that should not be relinquished without
proper consideration for the tax paying citizens of Asheville.
Biographical Information about Carl Mumpower:
General Background:
- Practicing Psychologist
- 48 years of age
- Vietnam service ~ l971-72
Education:
- Ph.D. - Psychology
- M.S.W. - Social Work
- M.A. - Education
- B.A. - Psychology
Community Service:
- Chairman - Asheville Civic Center Commission
- Chairman - USCU (Mission/St. Joe Credit Union
- Member - NC State Family Therapy Board
- Past Chairman - NC Social Work Licensure Board
- Past Co-Chair - Vision Committee on Neighborhoods and families
Brownie Newman
 Brownie
Newman-Bringing People Together for Asheville's Future
Some portray this city council race as a debate between "pro-neighborhood"
and "pro-business" candidates. Holly Jones and I reject
this false dichotomy.
As experienced leaders with a proven commitment to our community,
we know that our community can come together to build a stronger
economy while protecting neighborhoods.
Ten Principles for Building a Stronger Economy and Protecting Neighborhoods:
- Protection of neighborhoods is a core value. We'll never
take actions that we believe would harm Asheville's neighborhoods.
- We should support in-fill development rather than sprawl.
Acres of vacant and under-utilized property in the city would
benefit from attractive re-development.
- There are a wide range of neighborhood businesses that can
complement and enhance neighborhoods. We support a compatible
mix of uses so that people can live near their jobs, shops, and
schools.
- The key to integrating neighborhood-oriented businesses and
affordable homes in neighborhoods is scale and design.
Properly designed, smaller-scale businesses and attractive affordable
housing can create more vital, inclusive neighborhoods.
- We must provide better infrastructure to support community
development. We want sidewalks, bike-lanes, dedicated public
open-space, and one of the Southeast's best public transportation
systems.
- By improving public transit, we can support in-fill development
without increasing traffic. Improved public transit also benefits
air quality. We'll steer new growth to areas that can be provided
a high level of public transit service-mainly downtown and along
the existing commercial corridors.
- Highway widening represents one of the biggest threats to
neighborhoods. The I-26 Connector Project alone, if widened
to 8 lanes, could destroy more than 50 homes, dozens of local
businesses, and irreparably harm the integrity of West Asheville.
We will stand-up to the DOT when projects threaten our neighborhoods.
- There must be no "second-class" neighborhoods.
Example: Police tolerate drug dealing in broad daylight in many
housing projects, yet wouldn't tolerate it for a minute in other
neighborhoods.
- Seek common-ground. Most neighborhood leaders want to
help build a stronger economy and create more affordable housing.
Most homebuilders and business people want to protect the beauty
and health of our neighborhoods. Most citizens of Asheville believe
that these objectives can be achieved together. So do we.
- Stand-up to the extremists. We will stand-up to developers
who try to exploit our community for a quick profit. We will also
stand-up to the selfish perspective that says, "Asheville
needs affordable housing, but it should not be in my part of town."
Neither perspective serves the best interest of our community.
Unfortunately, candidates Carl Mumpower, Joe Dunn, and Jim Ellis
have accepted thousands of dollars each from a right-wing business
PAC that supports: Super-Walmarts in the middle of neighborhoods;
blasting an oversized I-26 through West Asheville; Gutting the Minimum
Housing Code, which protects the safety of renters; Gutting the
sign ordinance /putting up more billboards
Holly Jones and I will not accept any money from any PACs. We'll
stand-up to special interests.
Brownie Newman-Bringing People Together for
Asheville's Future
Biographical Information about Brownie Newman:
Education: Graduate Fellow, North Carolina Institute of
Political
Leadership; attended Warren Wilson College
Employment: Executive Coordinator, Western North Carolina
Alliance. Responsible for fundraising and budgeting, managing
staff, and directing this nonprofit dedicated to regional heritage
preservation.
Community Activities: Immediate Past President of the Coalition
of Asheville Neighborhoods; Board of Directors for the
Asheville-Buncombe Vision;Charter Member, Asheville Jaycees;
Advocate for NC Clean Smokestacks Act; Co-chair of the Community
Coordinating Committee of the I-26 Connector Project
Neighborhood: Montford Homeowner
Church: Saint Matthias Episcopal
Age: 29
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