Name: Gordon Smith
Profession: Child and Family Therapist
In up to two words, describe your political affiliation: Democratic Party
In one brief sentence, describe yourself and why you’re running: Buncombe County is one of the best places on earth, and we the people of Buncombe County deserve to have our land, air, water protected, our public schools celebrated, our locally-owned businesses supported, and all of our residents to have equal opportunity.
General questions
These questions are about problems, challenges or topics facing county government and how you would try to deal with them if elected.
1) Should the county work with the city of Asheville to extend transit service into more areas of the county? If so, what should be the priorities for this expansion?
Yes. When we further protect our green spaces and farmlands, it provides opportunity to focus affordable housing along the major transportation routes and in the unincorporated town centers. By increasing population density in these areas, we make public transit more accessible and more effective. Through my leadership in expanding bus service to Holidays and Sundays in Asheville, I have become well acquainted with the intricacies of the system and the funding sources. A City-County partnership on extending transit beyond the city limits is critical.
2) North Carolina has an increasing problem with teacher retention. If elected, what specific steps would you deal with this situation and improve the county’s education system?
Raleigh Republicans have been attacking our public school system for years – cutting budgets, withholding teacher pay, reducing instructional assistants, and more. While I am hopeful that we will be able to turn the tide in Raleigh in the near future, the teacher retention crisis calls us to act now. This means devoting more resources to teacher pay, instructional assistant staffing, and other supportive measures like more school counselors. We must also address equity – making sure pre-school-aged children have equal access to proper nutrition and school readiness.
3) The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office began using body cameras for its patrol and corrections officers last year. What policies do you believe should be in place to ensure transparency and protect the rights of the public in this matter?
Body cameras are a major step forward in making our law enforcement process more transparent. Governments across America are experimenting with various policies, and I expect we’ll have to keep adjusting ours as well. Body cameras help to protect citizens and law enforcement officers by providing a record of their interactions. Questions of personal privacy and the cost of records retention are very real issues, and we’ll have to keep reviewing current policies in order to effectively protect everyone.
4) As Buncombe County’s seen growth it’s also seen more questions about rules on development and an affordable housing crisis that extends well outside of city limits. What policies should the county pursue on land use and dealing with the housing crunch?
We need more homes in Buncombe County. Without affordable housing, the people of Buncombe County don’t have the opportunities they should to discover their potential and save money for the future. We should:
(1) Increase the number of homes per acre allowed along our major corridors and town centers. Transportation costs are central to affordability.
(2) Extend transit to areas outside the city limits.
(3) Create a deep partnership between Asheville and Buncombe County that will coordinate Housing Trust Fund cycles, unify housing strategies, and open up new opportunities.
(4) Have more cottage development and tiny home opportunities.
(5) Reduce fees and charges for building affordable housing.
(6) Set long-range goals for the creation and support of affordable housing.
(7) Create more opportunities for permanent affordability through Community Land Trusts.
(8) Utilize County-owned properties for the development of affordable housing.
(9) Perform a comprehensive regulatory review to identify bureaucratic obstacles to affordable housing.
(10) Offer incentives to builders who will include long-term affordability when they build.
On the other side of the affordability equations is the issue of wages. I have been a leader on living wages, and I believe that we must do more to support our locally owned businesses grow more living wage jobs. To that end, I rolled out a new low-income loan fund for our homegrown businesses. Called Buncombe Community Capital, this $1 million fund will help local, small businesses grow more living wage jobs. I would like to carry this program to Buncombe County government and expand it.
5) What’s your position on the county’s greenways and trails master plan? What should be the priorities for funding greenways and multimodal infrastructure at the countywide level?
Greenways and transit are critical to our transportation future. While many will use greenways for recreation and exercise, primarily they ought to serve as another way to travel the county. Those residents without vehicles ought to be able to get from home to work on a greenway. Greenway infrastructure provides so many benefits – economic development, transportation options, health and recreation, reducing vehicle miles traveled to keep pollutants out of the air, and more.
As an Asheville City Council Member, I have been constant in my support for creation of new greenways. Miles of greenways are currently being designed and constructed in Asheville as a result. I will continue to make this a priority as a County Commissioner.
Yes/No questions
These questions are about specific proposals the commissioners have or may consider, and how you would vote on them. The first word of each answer must be Yes or No. An explanation of one’s position — or an alternative proposal — may follow.
6) The area has seen a sharp increase in short-term rentals — the practice of renting out homes on sites like Airbnb — spurring a major controversy involving the housing shortage, property rights and the changing nature of the area. Would you support restrictions on short-term rentals similar to those Asheville City Council reinforced last year?
No. While short-term rentals are a contributor to our housing crisis in the more densely populated areas, there is ample opportunity for this use in Buncombe County.
7) Do you support the county’s recent move to raise the local hotel room tax to provide more funds for marketing the hospitality industry?
No. I supported withholding the occupancy tax increase until the lodging industry agreed to share those revenues with residents in a long-term, committed way. The tourism industry rejected an offer of partnership from elected representatives, and Buncombe County Commissioners ought to have waited to approve the increase until a better deal was struck. As a City Council Member, I have committed to appoint to the Tourism Development Authority only those applicants who will publicly commit to an equitable distribution of the occupancy tax.
8) Will you approve county funds to support the proposal, backed by the city-county African-American Heritage Commission, for a monument on Pack Square marking the contributions and history of local black citizens?
Yes. I proposed this at the City Council Retreat, and I am fully supportive.
9) Charlotte’s City Council recently passed increased protections for their LGBT citizens’ access to facilities and public accommodations, including private businesses. Do you favor Buncombe County passing a similar measure?
Yes. I have been the leader on Asheville City Council for LGBT protections, and it is time we took this important step toward equality and respect.
10) Until 2009, Buncombe County provided a free wireless network that covered much of downtown. The FCC ruled last year that Wilson had the right to operate a similar network. Do you support using county funds to restore that service?
Yes, and it will require a broad set of partnerships and funding sources to make equal access to the internet a reality.