5 Buncombe County Commission candidates on Tropical Storm Helene response and recovery
ASHEVILLE - This year, four candidates for Buncombe County Board of Commissioners are vying to represent two of the county's three districts, while one incumbent runs unopposed.
In Buncombe’s District 1, which encompasses much of the southern and eastern parts of the county, Jennifer Horton, a Democrat, is facing Republican Paul Benjamin. Both are seeking their first term on the board. If elected, Benjamin would be the only Republican on the commission.
In District 2, which covers the county’s northern and western portions, Terri Wells, a Democrat elected to the board in 2020, is running against Bruce O’Connell, an unaffiliated candidate who collected enough signatures earlier this year to appear on the ballot.
In District 3, representing the county’s central portion, incumbent commissioner Parker Sloan, a Democrat, is running unopposed.
After Tropical Storm Helene swept through Western North Carolina Sept. 27, killing dozens of county residents and damaging hundreds of homes and businesses, the Citizen Times asked each candidate to share their thoughts on response and recovery and the future of Buncombe County.
The candidates
District 1:
Jennifer Horton, a registered nurse and owner/administrator of five assisted-living family care homes in Buncombe County. Age: 38. Lives in Fairview. Party: Democrat.
Paul Benjamin, a minister, author, life coach and consultant. Age: 61. Lives in Biltmore Forest area. Party: Republican.
District 2:
Bruce O’Connell, owner/operator of Pisgah Inn. Age: 69. Lives in Candler. Party: Unaffiliated.
Terri Wells, a former public school teacher, farmer and WNC Regional Agricultural and Community Development Director. Age: 53. Lives in Sandy Mush. Party: Democrat.
District 3:
Parker Sloan, works in public policy for a large utility scale renewable energy construction company. Age: 39. Lives in the North side. Party: Democrat.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
If elected, how would Tropical Storm Helene reshape your priorities and goals?
Horton: As a lifelong resident of Buncombe County, originally from Swannanoa and now residing in Fairview, Tropical Storm Helene has deepened my commitment to our community’s resilience and recovery. If elected, Helene would shape my priorities around the core values of my platform —“Communities, Mental Health and Progress” — to meet the needs of our people and our home in these challenging times.
This storm affected not just homes and businesses but the hearts of our community. The trauma of loss and fear is real, and mental health support is essential in the healing process. I would prioritize accessible, trauma-informed mental health resources so that every resident, young and old, can recover with the support they need. Recovery must extend beyond physical rebuilding; it must address the emotional impacts that storms like Helene leave behind.We must strengthen our infrastructure, improve affordable housing, and ensure our preparedness for future challenges. My commitment is to progress forward together, building a Buncombe County that stands stronger, supports every resident, and emerges more united and prepared than ever before.
More: Buncombe County Commission elections 2024: What to know
Benjamin:
I would focus on helping our community recover from the storm
Aid in the Recovery of the missing family members
Gather resources to help Rebuild and Restore the Businesses that lost everything
Connect the community with much-needed resources
Rethink our much-needed Infrastructure upgrades
O’Connell: My priorities and goals have always been to focus on core services, including water, sewer, power and connectivity. The County must prioritize what matters most. Not $80 million bonds, that fail to address real problems. The storm must be a wake-up call. I believe that our water and sewer systems, and other core services, need to be moved up the priority list. They are “mission critical” to our county and city. I want to look ahead and make sure our critical infrastructure is designed to last. It has been neglected for far too long. We need to plan, build and maintain our systems so that our county will be strong and resilient for future generations. We must and will build for a better Buncombe County.
Wells: Since being elected in 2020, I have always advocated for our local businesses, including our farmers and sole proprietors, and I am more determined than ever to ensure that we have a strong local business economy. From the beginning of this disaster, I have been advocating for immediate needs grants, and those are now available for farmers, and they should be available for local businesses soon through our nonprofit partners.
Additionally, I have always focused on infrastructure, intentional planning and supporting our first responders, and I will continue to do so to ensure a stronger and more resilient future. I believe we should learn from every opportunity and make process improvements; we have an important opportunity to leverage private, state and federal funding to build back our community in a way that we ensure that our people are safer, our local businesses have stronger economic opportunities, and that our infrastructure and landscape is more resilient. I believe in our people; we have a strong mountain spirit, and we will come back even stronger. I will continue to listen to and stand up for our community.
Sloan: Helene has changed a lot, but I would still say my priorities, or my "north star," remains the same. My focus over the next four years will be creating a more affordable equitable community where young people choose to move here to thrive and older folks choose to stay here to affordably age in place. And most of all, leaving Buncombe County Government just a little bit better than I found it. The recovery from Helene will be a marathon, but for the short term, over the next 60 days, we are in a mad dash to get the economy back up and running to some basic level of stability.
Do you think the government response (city, county, state, federal) has been adequate? What was done well? What should have been done differently?
Horton: I want to thank everyone involved in the response to Tropical Storm Helene, from city and county officials to state and federal teams, for the support given to our community during this challenging time. However, I firmly believe that in every effort, there is room for improvement — especially when it comes to truly reaching and serving every resident.After Helene, my family, like many others, was left to navigate perilous conditions, including landslides, washed-out roads, and isolation on our mountain, despite multiple calls for assistance. These experiences highlight the urgent need for better emergency response infrastructure in Buncombe County, specifically for rural and remote areas. Stronger coordination, clearer communication and improved accessibility must be prioritized so no resident feels abandoned in a crisis.As a small business owner, I see our community's struggles firsthand. Right now, assistance for small businesses is largely limited to loans, which, while helpful, only add financial strain. Our community needs meaningful support and resources to rebuild and sustain — not just debt. Recovery should empower our community to thrive, not just survive. I'm committed to strengthening our county’s infrastructure and supporting families, businesses and individuals as we build a resilient, prepared and united Buncombe County.
Benjamin:
Now is not the time to point fingers. It's time to heal our community.
We should focus on meeting some urgent needs and coming together to minister to others.
O’Connell: Our local government – city services including fire, law enforcement, EMS, county personnel – has been great. The State response was better late than never. FEMA’s initial response had a lot of room for improvement. FEMA should have worked better with our local people. This is, however, being corrected, and we welcome it. Kudos to the hardworking folks with our water department that got the water flowing again much quicker than anyone expected. It was impressive. Equally impressive was the way the community and the private sector came together and offered immediate relief and aid. The community and private sector response was fantastic, and I have great faith that together we will rebuild this county with a stronger vision for the future that includes a resilient infrastructure.
Wells: Everyone has been working their hardest to support our communities in the face of this unforeseeable crisis, and our emergency services and first responders have done an incredible job of serving our community; we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. Community centers, churches and nonprofits have pulled together to provide direct support to community members. As I have spent weeks on the ground meeting with residents, community leaders, fire chiefs and government officials at all levels, I have witnessed strong collaboration and cooperation, and it is key that we all continue to pull in the same direction in order to build back stronger and smarter. I always believe in process improvements, and I am starting to have those conversations with community leaders to learn about the various ways we can make improvements. A top priority is strengthening and diversifying our backup communications infrastructure to ensure that we do not lose all communications in the future.
Sloan: The last month certainly feels like years to me, but I think it's important to keep in mind that we are just getting started with recovering from Helene. Immediately after Helene, we lost all communications with the outside world, all means of physical access/exit, water and electricity. Which immediately evolved into an event that local government (any local government), by definition, is not equipped to handle and therefore a State/Federal incident. By the Monday or Tuesday after the storm, those resources were here in full force and quickly making up for lost time. Buncombe County will eventually undergo some sort of post-incident analysis; there's plenty we can learn from. It is most essential, however, that NC Emergency Management conduct a full review and analysis of everything that happened. The loss of communications both in terms of the cellular network and internal emergency comms was crippling, unexpected, and it’s important that the State do everything possible to study what happened so that others will be more prepared when it happens again. FEMA specifically has been extraordinary and has tried to adapt to everything we have asked of them — they will be here for the long haul.
What issues/problems do you think Helene has brought to light in our community?
Horton: Tropical Storm Helene has exposed significant issues within our community that demand immediate attention, reinforcing the core priorities of my platform: “Communities, Mental Health, and Progress.” This storm has shown us the vulnerabilities in our infrastructure, the gaps in emergency response, and the pressing need for accessible mental health resources to address the emotional toll that such disasters leave behind.In communities across Buncombe County, roads have been washed away, leaving families stranded and small businesses isolated without clear access to help. Our infrastructure must be more resilient, particularly in rural areas, to ensure every resident feels connected and supported. Helene also highlighted how essential it is to have a cohesive, well-prepared emergency response system that is equipped to reach even our most remote areas promptly.Additionally, the emotional trauma of this disaster has left many residents grappling with loss and instability. We need accessible, community-focused mental health resources to help people heal and rebuild their lives. Helene has shown us the gaps in our system, and as someone deeply rooted in this community, I am committed to creating a Buncombe County that stands resilient, united and ready to face any challenge together.
Benjamin:
Our Infrastructure upgrades are past due in many communities
We need a game plan to address critical areas in our county
Our water system, roads, bridges, maintaining trees and more...
O’Connell: The storm brought to light the fact that core services that matter most to the smooth operation of our city and county have been neglected and need to be given higher priority going forward. I believe we need business experience at the table, like the 45 years of experience and success I’ve brought to The Pisgah Inn. The $28 million budget deficit along with the depletion of our reserve fund (to balance the budget) is reason enough to get a businessperson on the commission. The present commission and county manager have not been paying enough attention to our money.
Wells: When I was elected in 2020, it was because of my focus on rural communities, working family farms, and high-speed internet infrastructure. I have been delivering support in those areas, and I will continue to be a strong voice for the needs of these communities in our large county. We will need to continue to work with our local, state and federal partners to build a stronger, more resilient infrastructure, and I have the relationships and work ethic to get the job done. One key priority will be strengthening and diversifying our communications infrastructure, as well as continuing to support our farmers and community centers to ensure that we have stronger and more resilient communities. Our local economy and food security is directly impacted by our farmers’ ability to get crops and products to their customers, and our community centers are integral to a quick response of getting much needed support and resources to community members. We must continue to strengthen and support our local family farms and community centers.
Sloan: Helene has poured "gasoline" simultaneously on both the challenges and the opportunities facing our community, and so, we must be vigilant. Our number one economic problem prior to the storm was a lack of housing options, affordable housing, housing stock in need of repair, and decades of poor planning that led to sprawling development in some areas and a lack of residential development where we need it most. I believe these challenges will continue to be juxtaposed against a steady desire of people who want to visit and then live here. The opportunities lie in our collective ability to recognize that there’s plenty of space in this community for everyone to grow and thrive and that with enough recovery related investment and smarter planning we can build back better.
Specifically related to rebuilding and recovery, what do you think should be the No. 1 priority for local government?
Horton: (It) must be building a resilient, accessible infrastructure that safeguards and supports every resident in Buncombe County. Helene has shown us that our communities — particularly those in rural and low-lying areas — are vulnerable to devastating impacts that can cut them off from essential services and support. My platform centers on “Communities, Mental Health, and Progress,” and resilient infrastructure is the foundation upon which our recovery, safety and progress depend.
This priority means reinforcing our roadways, strengthening flood prevention measures, and ensuring that every family, no matter their location, has reliable access to emergency services. It also means investing in affordable, secure housing and establishing safe shelters that can sustain residents through crises.
Rebuilding is more than restoring; it’s about proactively preparing so our community can thrive through future storms. I am committed to working toward a Buncombe County that not only rebuilds but also builds forward, ensuring we stand together — strong, prepared and resilient.
Benjamin:
Emergency funding for displaced families and businesses
Get everyone back online with water, power, electricity and internet
Road access to homes
O’Connell: We need to focus on our infrastructure. We must and can be prepared for the next event. Moreover, we have the chance to get things right this time, things that have been neglected in the past. Our county will be better than before. We will be prepared. Hardening of our water, sewer, power and connectivity grids are the first priorities. I will only consider bonds (borrowing) if the money is for one of those critical needs. We can and must re-allocate monies away from noncritical discretionary spending to critical infrastructure needs. Our county needs tough love.
Wells: Public safety. Strengthening our emergency services to ensure that they have the training and resources needed to respond to the various needs of our community and building back our infrastructure stronger and smarter is important for our recovery and future. I am passionate about better coordination to improve our safety. While I have worked to provide a 40% increase in funding for public safety during my four years as a Commissioner, I will continue to support our first responders and work to make the appropriate investments in emergency services and infrastructure to ensure we have a stronger future for our children and grandchildren.
Sloan: (It) must be to stay united within Buncombe County and for everyone from every corner of our community and our business community across the impacted counties of WNC to stay united, and make sure the elected leaders in the NC General Assembly in the short term, and Congress in the longer term, understand the magnitude of the situation that we all find ourselves in. That they understand the gravity of the regional economic stakes of failure, and that they notice that every single one of us are on the same team and are watching and listening to them and what they do or don’t do like hawks. What they do or don’t do over the next 60-120 days will be remembered by absolutely everyone in WNC for the rest of our lives.
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Jacob Biba is the county watchdog reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times. Reach him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 5 BOC candidates on Tropical Storm Helene response and recovery