What to know about 8 Asheville City Council candidates running in March 5 primary

ASHEVILLE - Eight candidates are vying for three open City Council seats in the March primary. The Asheville Citizen Times put five questions before candidates — covering housing, homelessness, policing and infrastructure.

The approaching March 5 primary will narrow the field of eight Asheville City Council candidates to six. The top vote-getters will move on to the general election in November.

Early voting began Feb. 15.

Incumbents Sage Turner and Kim Roney are running for re-election. Vice Mayor Sandra Kilgore, who holds the third open seat, announced she would not be running again.

Turner and Roney were both first elected to council in 2020.

Candidates Iindia Pearson and Taylon Breeden did not respond to the emailed questionnaire. Breeden announced she is withdrawing from the race in a Feb. 20 Facebook post. She attributed the decision to the "struggle to find long term affordable housing within the city."

Some responses have been edited for accuracy and length. 

The basics

CJ Domingo, operations supervisor. Age: 36. Lives in West Asheville.

Kevan Frazier, educator/administrator for Western Carolina University programs in Asheville. Small business owner, including Well Played Board Game Café. Age: 53. Lives in downtown.

Bo Hess, licensed clinical social worker, therapist. Age: 35. Lives in downtown.

Tod Leaven, veterans law attorney. Age: 48. Lives in Montford.

Kim Roney, small business owner and music educator. Age: 42. Lives in east West Asheville.

Sage Turner, finance and project manager. Age: 45. Lives in West Asheville.

What are 3 actionable steps you will take to bring more affordable housing options to Asheville?

Domingo: Affordable Housing is a nationwide crisis. Solving it in a permanent, responsible way will need nationwide solutions. However, we can take local steps to ease the pain for Ashevillians. I would develop incentives (including HTF/LUIG access) for locals to build ADUs with the requirement that they be used for affordable, long-term rentals. This increases housing and gives locals additional income. Next, rezone areas which can sustain more dense apartments and “Middle Housing” like duplexes and cottage communities in order to use our land more efficiently. Finally, aggressively enforce the rules against STRs that are not using a Homestay Permit.

Frazier: Quickly adopt a policy to include missing middle housing in neighborhoods, which is a variety of house-scale buildings with multiple units including stacked fourplexes, townhomes, side-by-side and stacked duplexes, and live-work complexes; they aesthetically and practically bridge the gaps between single-family homes and apartment complexes. (Many cities are years ahead of us; this isn’t novel.) Quickly adopt a framework for requiring affordable housing units. Revise our Unified Development Ordinance for the purpose of embedding the affordable housing requirements and missing middle development. Simultaneously revise the permitting process to reduce costs and delays for affordable units.

Hess: To enhance affordable housing in Asheville, I will focus on: 1) Expanding our housing stock across the spectrum, from transitional shelters to multi-bedroom homes and artist live/work spaces. 2) Growing our Housing Land Trusts to secure more land dedicated to affordable housing. 3) Strengthening eviction protections and providing financial assistance for down payments and rental deposits, alongside making housing vouchers non-discriminatory to ensure equal access for all residents. These steps are essential to creating a more inclusive and accessible housing market in Asheville.

Leaven: For too long we have avoided pushing for sustainable and equitable development. The reason why we have an affordable housing crisis and an unhoused crisis is because we have a housing stock crisis. I would push to (1) simplify the UDO, (2) support the missing middle initiative, and (3) prioritize building affordable housing.

Roney: Housing is too expensive, and so are costs of transportation and utilities! Asheville should initiate a community benefits table for housing development that incentivizes deeply-affordable housing for people who live and work in Asheville. Those benefits should:

Transportation: Asheville's primary is March 5. Where do council candidates stand on transportation?

1. Bolster neighborhood plans and prioritize housing development on infrastructure corridors close to jobs and grocery stores;

2. Increase transit frequency so people can spend more time at home with their families instead of buying another car; and

3. Keep utility costs in check — which is why I’ve set the standard in calling for renewable energy options in every new residential development.

Turner: 1. Diversification of housing types, sizes, and locations. The market should not be limited to only mega apartment complexes or $500k homes.

2. Additional cracking down on illegal whole house short term rentals, including in the county. We need the rental platforms to require city permit info on their application like they do in other cities. To date, they have refused. A coalition of cities in NC may be needed.

3. Updating of all affordable housing policies, with continued steadfast support of projects and policies that meet our goals, reduce transportation costs, and include a high percentage of long term affordability.

Do you support a new low-barrier homeless shelter in the city? If so, where would you like to see it located?

Domingo: With caveats, yes. I would look for it to be compassionate, pragmatic, and reflect both fiscal and environmental responsibility. It would need to be built for the purpose of promoting self-sufficiency and getting folks the help they need to get on the path to rejoining society. Low barrier, but with firm guardrails to keep people on-track. As to where, it should be near key support resources and ideally on a site that has walking access and plenty of job opportunities.

Frazier: Yes, I support low-barrier shelters to help care for neighbors who are not eligible to use our current shelters such as families, single fathers with children, and people with pets whom they love as family members. Low-barrier shelters could also house people under the influence rather than leaving them to roam the streets. As these examples suggest, we might best serve our neighbors by offering the right kinds of shelters. Low-barrier shelters can serve as the point of entry for people to connect with existing service providers. Any low-barrier shelter would best be located near transit and existing service providers.

Hess: I support the establishment of new low-barrier shelters, recognizing the urgent need to support vulnerable citizens as they navigate challenging transitions. My proposal focuses on the development of smaller distributed shelters with fewer beds that are strategically located in various parts of the city. This approach aims to effectively serve the needs of local people, while also ensuring that no single neighborhood disproportionately bears the impact of hosting a large-scale social services facility. By listening to voters and continuously seeking the most effective solutions, I am committed to a compassionate and balanced approach to addressing homelessness and fostering inclusivity.

Leaven: The only way to end the current pipeline to being unhoused is to actually build affordable housing. Having said that, I will support a new low-barrier homeless shelter in Asheville if it is necessary to serve those currently suffering from the unhoused crisis. It absolutely needs to be built near existing resources for the unhoused for the continuum of care to work. I started a free legal clinic for homeless Veterans at ABCCM ten years ago and I still run it. I think it would be foolish to discount the amazing work of ABCCM and Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. Low-barrier housing has its place, but we must make sure we are not prioritizing it over these other great services.

Roney: I’m committed to reducing homelessness by 50% as outlined in the (National Alliance to End Homelessness) report, so yes — I support data-driven solutions like a low-barrier shelter that honors the humanity of our most vulnerable neighbors as we work to heal our community and mitigate the housing crisis. I heard initial recommendations from our Shelter Work Group to bring a low-barrier shelter online that streamlines services and partnerships, and I agree it needs to be accessible by transit for access to jobs, education, and healthcare. I encourage neighborhoods to partner for community-driven solutions, including serving families needing to shelter together instead of splitting families apart.

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Turner: Yes if we meet certain criteria. We need a professional, clinical, and compassionate approach to helping people get back on their feet. The facility should be a joint operation, with the County and health (organizations) like Mission and Dogwood at the helm. The city should play a minor role; (the city of Asheville) lacks capacity and funding to fully take on these community health matters and needs larger partners to lead this initiative. The location should be near the hospital, not in neighborhoods, and recently awarded state funding should support it.

Council has recently discussed aging city infrastructure, with ongoing considerations of a 2024 GO Bond Referendum and a new facilities assessment in hand. What are your infrastructure priorities?

Domingo: Our parking facilities, roads, sidewalks, Muni-Building (Fire and Police station), bus stops, and public parks/recreation facilities (Malvern Hills Pool) are all showing their age and must be repaired and maintained going forward. There’s much to do, but folks who live and work in Asheville need to be able to rely upon our fundamental infrastructure such as these, such as our water delivery and recovery systems, and such as our transit system. They must all work without question so Ashevillians can thrive.

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Frazier: To catch up on deferred maintenance and ensure our existing buildings are in good repair. I am concerned about the money that is being spent on the parking decks. It is not that we don’t need the parking decks in good repair but rather that setting back reserves for these types of repairs for revenue-generating facilities should have been part of the regular business plan and should be moving forward. Likewise, a fully renovated Thomas Wolfe Auditorium or new high-quality arts venue downtown (to replace TWA) should have been part of a business plan and should be moving forward.

Hess: My infrastructure priorities for Asheville are grounded in resilience and preparedness. We must prioritize our physical infrastructure, focusing on roads, bridges and sidewalks, alongside improving multi-modal transportation options. This is foundational for a thriving, accessible city. I will work towards securing and upgrading our communication networks, water, sewer, electricity, gas and maintenance systems against any potential eventuality, ensuring resilience and reliability. Enhancing our healthcare and emergency preparedness is also imperative to disaster response. By ensuring Asheville is resource-sufficient, with sustainable reserves of basic necessities like food/water, we can safeguard our community’s security and well-being.

Leaven: I would love to see the city’s core city services, including infrastructure, be prioritized over pet projects. If the city had a little more fiscal responsibility and prioritized core city services, we would not need a bond. My infrastructure priorities include (1) the water system, (2) parking decks, (3) existing bathrooms, (4) sidewalks, (5) roads, and (6) whatever replaces the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

Roney: As an advocate for climate and neighborhood resiliency, my infrastructure priorities include: fair water rates to keep our water on instead of steep discounts for commercial users, asking hard questions about due-diligence so investments in city-owned land are maximized for community benefit, and prioritizing the health and well-being of our staff and community. Examples include: improving walkability and ADA-compliance for safer commutes; adaptive reuse of the buildings we have instead of building new structures; partnership for community centers, parks, and pools; and making sure our firefighters have safe live-work conditions before elected officials and executive staff get fancy, new offices.

Turner: We must get on top of infrastructure issues, from water pipes to sidewalks, potholes to pools. Managing the city’s assets is a core function of government. We are working on a long term plan that will likely need an infusion of bond monies. With that work will come our priorities. For me, water systems, first responder stations, and community pools come before city hall renovation and city staff office expansions. We are making up for a decades-long habit of deferred maintenance and lack of bond cycles dating back to the Great Depression. Residents should be able to expect a fully functioning city.

Asheville has named reimagining public safety as a priority for 3 years. Do you support that priority? If so, what does it mean to reimagine public safety?

Domingo: I support the ideals that the program called for at its outset. However, for the people of Asheville, it is time to turn Reimagining into Realizing Effective Policies and Reaffirming Public Trust. We should keep the ideas of having alternative responders to conserve APD’s resources. But we should have a return of a modernized Community Watch initiative and a reinvestment of Community Policing. That also means insuring that we are keeping pay and education opportunities for officers consistent with other cities, so our officers can afford to live in Asheville and so we can retain the folks that live up to the improved expectations that we are asking of them.

Frazier: The city provided its definition when it adopted the priority. I support that priority, and I support a broader definition that includes getting the right professionals to the right situation and ensuring we have a fully staffed and well-trained police department. Sometimes armed officers are who is needed. Sometimes addictions specialists or mental health professionals are needed. The Community Paramedic Program, which activates firefighters and other non-(law enforcement officer) first responders, is a great example of both better serving the community and best utilizing resources. I also support the program that allows civilians to assist in writing reports at minor auto accidents.

Hess: To me, reimagining public safety means adopting a comprehensive approach that extends above and beyond traditional law enforcement. It involves creating an integrated, supportive community infrastructure of first responders. Supporting our first responders in their vital work and increasing funding for community paramedic programs ensures that crises are met with the appropriate professional response, including social workers, police and/or medical assistance. Enhancing law enforcement training to include strategies for dealing with mental health and addiction issues, ensuring affordable housing options, and fostering an environment where everyone feels safe and included are all key components of a reimagined approach to public safety.

Leaven: Public Safety is a top core-city-service. It is absolutely essential. I 100% support the APD. I also fully support increasing funding for emergency services, including personnel trained in mental health intervention. I will do my best to ensure that we increase funding to the APD so that our police officers are the best trained, best equipped, and can afford to live in the great city that they serve. I first moved to Asheville in 1985 and this is the first time I have ever witnessed an actual decline in public safety. We cannot afford to be a city in decline. I believe our best years still lay ahead, we just need to get back on track.

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Roney: Everyone in Asheville deserves to be safe, but a narrow definition of public safety limits successes and creates new problems. True public safety identifies needs and utilizes correct tools. Making our community safer doesn’t have to be a distant reality, we should:

1. Partner to expand Buncombe’s Community Paramedicine program with staff uniquely qualified to connect people with behavioral healthcare and substance use treatment;

2. Bring Durham’s HEART program to Asheville;

3. Engage local community health workers for violence interrupter programming; and

4. Regain our living wage certification so first responders can afford to live in the communities they serve.

Turner: We may be reimagining and evolving public safety for years to come. I support this ongoing work as the city/state/region/nation is experiencing significant changes in public needs, including large increases in addiction and mental health issues. Creative solutions like sending community responders to mental health crises and sending retired officers to traffic accidents are great examples. We need more of these creative responses and more funds to support the growing programs. This also allows our understaffed police officers to respond to the immediate safety issues and crime the city experiences.

Is there another issue that you consider a central tenet of your campaign? How would you seek to address it, if elected?

Domingo: One of the side effects of the advancements of the 21st century has been the collapse of real social interactions. I would like to find a way to sustainably institute a program to bring communities back together. I am envisioning a mobile block party in which the city would provide road barricades, a few organizers, and then invite local businesses to donate food and drink. I would see it as a community potluck to get people face-to-face and help to reforge the strong sense of unity that Asheville used to have when I was young.

Frazier: Folks want to get along with their neighbors and be part of a community they feel has their back. That’s the community I want us to build. A community in which ALL residents feel safe, welcome, and know they belong. A community in which our neighbors feel heard, seen, and respected. A community in which all residents find meaningful work, better wages, a reasonable cost of living, and benefit from environmental stewardship. At present, residents aren’t feeling heard or supported when we experience water fiascos and hindrances to building affordable housing and opening businesses. We’ve got work to do.

Hess: A comprehensive approach to mental health, addiction, and homelessness. Addressing these issues requires multifaceted strategies that include access to mental health services, more supportive housing options, and developing holistic care models for those struggling with addiction. Moreover, enhancing our greenways, parks, and community spaces is crucial for building connections. These areas not only improve quality of life but also serve as vital resources for mental /physical health, community engagement, and environmental sustainability. Electing a leader with my expertise — someone who understands the complexities of mental health, addiction, and the unsheltered — is essential for Asheville’s future.

Leaven:

The Army taught me that it does not matter what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how we identify, how much money we have, or what our political party affiliation is. What divides is nowhere near as important as what unites. Being solution-minded is far more advantageous than being blame-centric. I am a Democrat, but I will respect, listen to, and work with Republicans and Independents. Everyone has a voice in Asheville and we must engage beyond our own comfort zones and ideological bubbles.

Roney: As a current Council member, I’m dedicated to taking better care of each other and our environment; to demanding accountability as unchecked tourism extracts our resources and burdens our infrastructure. I have the courage to say no–and the consistent leadership to say yes to: initiating Urban Forestry programming; protecting neighborhoods from hotel encroachment; identifying funds for deeply-affordable housing, expanded transit, and reparations; insisting on fair water rates to keep our water on; protecting renters, veterans, LGBTQ+ residents, and reproductive rights; transparency through Open Meetings Policy; and pressing for living wages for City staff who provide the services our community deserves.

Turner: We need to be making greater strides in environmental work. We have not planted any trees in low income communities, despite recognizing the need. We have struggled to adopt multimodal plans. We have stalled on basic items like plastic bag bans, something other communities have already tackled. I am focusing my efforts on housing policy as the mere movement of people and goods impacts our climate negatively. We must get strategic about the city’s growth or we will continue to sprawl, forcing us to build new roads, lay new water pipes, run new power lines, etc., instead of caring for and fixing the ones we already have.

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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville City Council has 8 running in March 5 primary; What to know