“Record low turnout” has become a familiar refrain in local municipal elections, and this year proved no different.
that many Ashevilleans simply aren’t aware of, or interested in, what goes on at City Hall. upcoming BattLEs Meanwhile, what issues will these mostly familiar Council members face? Talking to the media after the election, Manheimer and the other victors all promised continued attention to issues like jobs and the environment. City staff is already looking at overhauling Asheville’s approach to economic development incentives to make them more accessible to small businesses as well as big names like Linamar or New Belgium Brewing. Manheimer and Wisler both called for specific targets for things like reductions in crime or the number of affordable housing units built as a way to gauge progress. A major change in how the city handles development could also be in the works. During the campaign, Smith and Wisler advocated for more density and for an end to squabbling over specific projects. They argued for retooling city policies so that staff handle more decisions, based on improved policies, rather than Council. If their colleagues agree, this could mean a significantly overhauled development ordinance offering opponents of proposed projects in their neighborhood fewer opportunities to make their objections known — which would surely spark controversy. And then there’s the question of what state legislators will do upon returning to Raleigh. Although Manheimer has noted the need to work on improving relations with the General Assembly, all of the victors in this election have made it quite clear that there are certain items on which they won’t budge, such as control of the city’s water system. In other words, we can definitely expect some fireworks next year, both in Asheville and in the state capital. X
manhEimER’s night: New Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer speaks to supporters after winning a landslide victory. She promised to focus on equity and the environment.
The numbers
With all precincts reporting, here are the results for Asheville’s 2013 municipal election: ashEViLLE mayoR Esther manheimer 8,341 votes (68.4 %) john miall 3,790 votes (31 %) ashEViLLE city counciL (thREE sEats) gwen wisler 9,136 votes (28 %) gordon smith 8,936 votes (27.4 %) cecil Bothwell 8,161 votes (25 %) mike Lanning 3,503 votes (10.8 %) jonathan wainscott 2,641 votes (8.1 %)
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noVEmBER 13 - noVEmBER 19, 2013
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