[This candidate response contains violent transphobia. While the Blade does not weigh in on how individuals should vote, we are completely against bigotry from any candidate of any stripe or party. Blatant prejudice has no place here or anywhere else.]
Name: Jordan Burchette
Profession: Manager at Best Buy Metals in Asheville
In up to two words, describe your political affiliation: Conservative Republican
In one brief sentence, describe yourself and why you’re running: I am running to defend and advance Christian, Conservative values and provide transparency in our local government.
General questions
These questions are about problems, challenges or topics facing county government and how you would try to deal with them if elected. Limit 300 words per answer.
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?
The expansion of extended transit services will come at a cost to taxpayers. While transit service is justified in Asheville, it is not of practical use throughout most of Buncombe County. We need to focus on creating jobs in our county. This will provide people with the revenue they need buy a vehicle and commute on their own rather than constantly finding new ways to put the cost on hard working taxpayers.
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?
Regarding the improvement of our education system, If elected I will fight to rid Buncombe County’s school system of the train wreck called Common Core. This alone is setting our teachers up to fail, killing morale, and harming our children.
I will also fight to reduce the debt and stop the irresponsible spending that our current Board of Commissioners are currently engaged in. The board of commissioners recently voted to spend over $600,000 in “extra duty pay” for principals and assistant principals. This cronyism left our hard working teachers out in the cold while padding the pockets of school officials. We need transparency. It is not simply the job of the board of commissioners to vote and throw money around, they are to act as an oversight committee and see that money is spent wisely. This reform will allow us to better financially compensate our teachers for the hard work that they do on a daily basis.
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?
While the implementation of body cameras does add a factor of accountability for both the public and officers, it comes with a complicated set of problems. First, our officers are doing a wonderful job in Buncombe County and should not be treated as if they are a group of thugs looking to harm innocent people. Secondly, many of the circumstances under which these cameras will be filming could pose a serious privacy violation to citizens. The government will now be forced to choose between potentially compromising the privacy of it’s citizens or sacrificing transparency by keeping videos that should be public record hidden. I am not a fan on the implementation of these body cameras as I believe they are creating more problems that they are solving.
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?
The county has handcuffed itself with overbearing and ridiculous over-regulation regarding land use. I do not believe adding to these regulations will serve to solve any problems. In fact, they will without doubt lead to higher rent and higher taxes.
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?
The county’s greenways plan is simply not a priority and should be abandoned. It is absurd that while our county continues to plunge our hard-working citizens and future generations deeper into debt, Commissioners on the board continue to find more ways to spend money that we do not have. We need common-sense Conservative reform to eliminate the out of control spending.
Yes/No
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. It should not be within the power of government officials to impose their will on the rights of property owners. Government should not be involved in the practice of slapping restrictions on our property owners over every new “crisis”. These ridiculous regulations always lead to the prices of rent sky-rocketing as has proved true in the city of Asheville. Generally, government interference in the free market only makes things worse. Again, see Asheville.
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. The guise behind this tax hike is to say that only “out of towners” renting hotel rooms will be effected by the tax hike. In reality, the tax increase provides an added burden on the hotel industry and harms the very industry the tax was intended to help. We need to look at spending cuts for solutions to problems, not constant tax hikes.
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?
No. I should note that this project has been proposed in the stead of a $126,000 restoration of the Vance monument (which I would also oppose), so I can only imagine that this proposed monument would require as much money. While I very much appreciate the contributions that African-American citizens have made to Buncombe County, I do not feel that with our county in deep debt and currently at a spending deficit annually that we should be using these funds on ANY monument reflecting ANYTHING. When you are broke, you should not be constantly buying new things. If we have to tighten our belts financially in our personal lives when money is tight, Government should be required to do the same thing.
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?
No. In fact, I would strongly fight against it. The very structure of this argument from the LGBT community suggests that they are being denied access to use facilities based on their sexual preference – this notion is absurd. No one… man, woman, gay, or straight, is being denied access to the restroom. The forced implementation of “gender neutral” facilities is in fact discrimination against women, men, children, and businesses. As a father and husband, the idea that we would create an environment that allowed adult men into the same bathroom with women and young girls is ludicrous. If Buncombe County should pursue this avenue, I will make it my personal mission to ensure that every member of my family has their concealed carry permit and is properly armed and trained.
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?
No. As I have previously stated, our funds right now need to be monitored and spent wisely. With our county currently in debt, and at an annual spending deficit, we need to reign in spending. If we are able to put our financial house in order, then we can have the opportunity to look at some additional projects but until then – free wireless networks, monuments, greenways, and extended transit services are simply not a priority.