Mayoral
Candidates, Week 2
Terry Bellamy
William Boyd
Chuck Cloninger
H.K. Edgerton
Dave Goree
Mickey Mahaffey
Brian Peterson
Bill Porter
Charlie Worley
Terry Bellamy
 I
want to be the next Mayor because I believe I represent your views
and will lead this community in a positive direction. As a West
Asheville homeowner, I understand the importance of a safe neighborhood,
pothole-free streets and civilized traffic. As a native of Asheville
who went away to go to college and returned home, I understand
the need for jobs for those who have graduated from college and
are looking to come back home and understand the importance of having
jobs for people of different economic levels. As a woman,
I recognize the need to be included in the decision making process
and the importance of having our voices heard. As a graduate
of Asheville High School, I know that all our children can achieve
academic success with the help of our teachers, administrators,
and volunteers. As an employee of a non-profit organization,
I understand the need for businesses and communities to come together
on common ground to find solutions. As an active volunteer,
I comprehend the diverse needs of our elderly in the community.
I represent Asheville and I have a vision for Asheville
that includes everyone, including you! My vision is to lead
our community in addressing the issues of affordable housing, economic
development, education, and basic city services. I believe I can
do this by being in the forefront while working with neighboring
governments, visiting existing industries, and striving to strike
a balance between neighborhood concerns and business interests.
William Boyd
Mr. William Boyd did not respond to a letter inviting him to
participate in The Candidates' Forum. No other means to contact
him were available through the information provided at the Board
of Elections.
Chuck Cloninger
 Because
I believe our goals should be even higher than our mountains, I
will be a candidate this year for Mayor of Asheville. I run for
Mayor because I believe Asheville can achieve great goals, such
as Smart Growth; the protection of our neighborhoods, our city's
natural beauty and our environmental resources; high-tech, high-paying,
low-polluting jobs; an even more vibrant downtown; parks and greenways
expansion; protection from litter, billboards and monstrous cell-phone
towers; and a modernized Civic Center.
My six years of experience on the City Council and my two-years
experience as Vice Mayor have given me a front-row view of the challenges
our city faces-and the incredible potential we have. My record shows
the kind of Mayor I would be--and how effective I can be. The goals
that I've worked towards include advocating for Smart Growth policies,
implementing controls on billboards and cell-phone towers, initiating
waste reduction and alternative-fuel programs, founding and serving
on the Asheville Parks and Greenways Foundation, and working to
bring passenger rail service back to Asheville.
We've made great progress, and we've shown what we can do when
we work together. But we're just getting started. With the right
leadership in the Mayor's chair and the right partnerships in our
community, we can make Asheville more beautiful, more prosperous
and an even better place to live.
If you share these goals, my vision and my willingness to reach
out and work with like-minded people, I ask for your support for
Mayor of Asheville.
H.K. Edgerton
 Excerpt
from an interview with H.K. Edgerton b Ron Holland of the Dixie
Daily News (reprinted with permission from both parties) -HKE
HK: Since the War Between the States, many politicians in
both parties have tried to divide us by race, religion etc. and
if we Southerners don't stand together we will lose our culture,
heritage, religion and region to outsiders who sadly have no appreciation
of the unique culture of being Southern. They want growth at any
price, which usually means higher taxes and real estate priced out
of the range of most Southerners. Many of our jobs are being taken
by illegal immigrants from South of the border and real estate taxes
and values are rising so fast with this influx of new people that
many of my friends can't even afford the taxes on the property.
Others can't afford to pay the exorbitant rents now charged for
many apartments.
Now I'm not against Northerners moving down here, to escape the
high taxes and cost of living up North. After all, you've never
heard of anyone retiring to the North have you? I'm not against
responsible immigration but we have to take care of the existing
Southern people, our jobs with reasonable housing alternatives first.
The big corporations and developers can make plenty of money with
these real estate developments and cheap foreign laborers but take
care of us first. Lets' get full employment for all Southerners
wanting to work at a fair wage before we invite all the world to
Asheville or down here to Dixie.
Dave Goree
A question posed by voter Bob Brown is: Should there be an elected
citizen review board over the Police Department?
This fits right in with the main idea of The Asheville Freedom
Team, me, Dave Goree for Mayor, Kevin Rollins and Bernard Carman
for City Council, that idea being a TOTAL REVIEW of all functions
of City Governmnent, including the APD. However, I do not believe
we need to create another government body to do this. This should
be the primary role of City Council, not micro-managing all our
lives and spending as much of OUR money as they can extort from
us. When we win, and our policy of TOTAL REVIEW is underway, this
good idea will be redundant.
When I look at the statements of our opposition, the differences
between our libertarian approach and the approach of the vast majority
of our opposition is simple. They wish to control our lives, The
Asheville Freedom Team believes you can control your own lives better
than we can. I listen to the current members of City Council proposing
more of the same...Do you want more of the same? They point to their
records as Councilmembers to ask you for your vote. If you give
it to them you are saying, " We like more taxes. We like over-regulation.
We need the City to be
our nanny." Vote for The Asheville Freedom Team, vote for Dave
Goree for Mayor, vote for Bernard Carman and Kevin Rollins for City
Council. Send ALL those in power, in Asheville, in Raleigh and in
Washington a message....Freedom matters!
Mickey Mahaffey
Air Quality in Asheville
Western North Carolina is facing an air quality crisis, which
has already had devastating environmental and public health consequences.
At Federal and State levels, cleaning up air pollution is taking
a backseat to special interests of large corporations. The City
of Asheville must recognize the gravity of the situation and take
aggressive measures. The health of our children and our economy
depend on the cooperation of local business, industry, government
and individual responsibility.
The two most immediate measures we can take are increasing transit
options and downsizing our city fleet. As a regular bus rider, I'm
aware of the need for expanded routes, frequency, and hours for
our bus system. Transit needs to move to the top of the budget priority
list. We also need to invest in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure,
and creation of green spaces in our city to help clean the air.
For several years I've pushed for increased use of bicycles and
foot patrol for the police department. And I will continue to support
the Air Quality Agency.
The city's current plan for conversion to cleaner fuels is too
little too late. With a cooperative effort we can fast-track alternative
fuels for buses and vehicles. We can build regional fueling stations
in cooperation with universities and schools, utilities, and businesses.
As mayor, I would create a roundtable of these parties and all concerned
citizens to discuss speedy conversion to compressed natural gas
and/or fuel cells. In the meantime I will work to downsize our city
fleet.
Brian Peterson
A Proven Neighborhood Leader
For the past six years, I have been actively involved with neighborhood
groups and neighborhood issues across Asheville. During that time,
I have been involved with the Coalition of Asheville Neighborhoods
(CAN). I served as President of CAN for two years (1997-1999) and
continue to serve on the CAN Board of Directors. I also helped organize
the West Asheville Estates Neighborhood Association and still serve
as the group's Vice-President.
As Mayor, I will continue to fight for all of Asheville's neighborhoods.
I believe that protecting and improving our neighborhoods is vital
to the City's future. Asheville has prospered because this is a
wonderful place to live. Issues such as better enforcement of traffic
laws and zoning rules need to be addressed. In addition, more resources
need to be allocated for community policing, traffic calming, street
and sidewalk repair, and neighborhood parks. I believe that citizens
will be supportive of new programs and challenges only when they
feel secure that City government is doing a good job on the basic
services.
While serving on Council, I have attended hundreds of community
and neighborhood meetings all across Asheville. On many nights,
I have attended two or three different community meetings in different
parts of town. As a public servant, I have listen to the concerns
and views of our residents. In addition, I have tried to keep the
public better informed on what City government is doing and what
issues will be before Council in the future.
I am attorney with the law firm of Grimes & Teich. I am married
to Cynthia Cooke who is also an attorney and a small business owner.
We live in West Asheville.
Bill Porter
 Affordable
Housing is a major priority of many candidates. The question is
"How is the best way to provide it?" Interestingly, those
who make this one of their top priorities, are the very ones who
have supported policies that make housing unaffordable.
Making Housing Unaffordable. Federal and state environmental regulations
have driven the cost of lumber up as good forest management practices
have been discontinued, resulting in thousands of acres of timber
burning up. Instead of these trees being used to provide lower cost
lumber and thus lower cost housing, they have only contributed to
more air pollution. Locally, we have many factors that contribute
to high cost housing. The Unified Development Ordinance [UDO] has
resulted in major cost increases for construction and remodeling.
UDO requirements that insure our health and safety should be retained,
but the remainder should be eliminated. Frequent tax increases and
excessive water rates add to the cost of maintaining a residence
in the city.
Who Needs Affordable Housing? We all do, but those who have supported
the policies that make housing unaffordable say that the best way
to undo what they have done is to subsidize "worthy" groups.
This selection is based as much on political clout as on need. My
solution is to undo the original policies, i.e. reduce regulations,
lower taxes and lower water rates. This will benefit everyone regardless
of political clout, most importantly low income families, young
couples just entering the housing market and senior citizens.
Charlie Worley
 As
Mayor, I would be committed leading Asheville to greater participation
and cooperation within the Western North Carolina region. I consider
Asheville the regional leader for Western North Carolina. I believe
that
Asheville should assume its leadership role in developing innovative
solutions to the problems that we face. The regional water source
solution
of several years ago is an example. While I want to see Asheville
grow as a city, I also recognize that Asheville benefits from growth
that occurs within the region. I support regional initiatives that
will enhance all of Western North Carolina and thus enhance Asheville.
As the region benefits and prospers, Asheville benefits and prospers.
One very real benefit is in taxes. As Asheville makes better use
of its land, sales taxes increase and our dependency on the property
tax is reduced.
I am proud of Asheville - proud of the people, the diversity, the
accomplishments we have obtained. I am proud of the recognition
of Asheville as an All America City and proud that Asheville is
a destination city for so many people seeking a better quality of
life.
I am concerned that the diversity that is such a strength can also
lead to clashes and controversy. We have seen this happen more and
more over the last several years as conflicting interests run into
each other. I believe that I can help bring conflicting groups together
and find the middle ground that will keep us moving forward within
the city and within the region.
Back to The Candidates' Forum Main
Page
|
