Name: Amanda Edwards
Profession: Executive (oversees administration, programs, and strategic plan)
In up to two words, describe your political affiliation: Lifelong Democrat
In one brief sentence, describe yourself and why you’re running: To put my county management and executive public service skills to work to 1) restore trust and accountability and 2) deliver change on development, housing, early childhood education, and equity policies.
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) The corruption charges against former County manager Wanda Greene and other former senior county officials have revealed major problems in local government. What factors do you believe led to this situation, and what changes should be passed to ensure a transparent and accountable county government?
Factors: Partisanship and unwillingness to set party aside and have hard conversations about Greene’s unprofessional and secretive management style; lack of knowledge of how to run a county government; lack of willingness to ask questions in public. Change needed: Change the culture and policies.
2) The State of Black Asheville reports reveal multiple inequities — in fields like education, housing, health, labor and more — impacting the African-American community in both Asheville and Buncombe County. What steps would you support to address these issues?
Education: Our children do not yet have equal access to high quality care for their first 2000 days. That inequity from birth through starting kindergarten creates unnecessary, avoidable challenges for children, both immediately and throughout their lives. Solutions: Create more options for affordable, high quality early childhood education by exploring a local fellows program for early childhood teacher students; developing a two-year degree to four-year degree transfer pathways program for educators–there is currently no such program in Buncombe County. Deliver more high-quality child care through partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, and start the $3.6 million county commitment in budget year 2019 instead of delaying until 2020. Delaying funding until 2020 means no meaningful implementation until after the 2020 elections, and no measurable outcomes until 2021 and thereafter. Housing: Lack of affordable housing is pushing families and individuals into doubled-up situations, living in vehicles, and homelessness. All of that de-stablizes the people, especially children, creates undue stress, and makes it difficult if not impossible to have a fulfilling, successful school experience. Solutions: We need to staff schools with the social workers, counselors, and other needed staff. We must address our housing crisis by committing to create a housing supply that is permanently affordable, income-qualified, and affordable to working families and individuals, retirees, and people with disabilities. I will push the County to partner with existing results-driven organizations including MHO, Habitat for Humanity, and Givens Estates on five- ,ten-, and fifteen year plans so we have published goals and financial commitments, and can measure progress. Our land is a limited resource, and to me that is a reason to support the Community Land Trust model, and specifically support the Community Land Trust that is that has recently been incorporated. Health: plan and implement livable communities throughout the county, expand Medicaid (state-level decision).
3) What steps would you support to encourage sustainable growth and infrastructure improvements in rural, unincorporated areas of the county?
I was born and raised in the mountains of West Virginia, mountains ravaged by industry, with streams polluted by the same industries, and communities created, sickened, and then abandoned by those industries. The risks Buncombe faces may appear less dangerous, but I see that we could easily destroy our clean air and water and our natural beauty, and cause lasting harm to our people.
We can and must plan and implement livable communities throughout the county, and that will protect our environment and improve safety and quality of life. This means we plan to connect the community to itself and to the entire county through safe multi-modal routes for use by all ages and abilities, to get people out of their cars and to allow people to exercise and enjoy their own neighborhoods. Look to the Connect Buncombe plan. This also means we plan for and provide basic resources within the community–food resources, health and safety resources, and safe community spaces for people to interact and get to know their neighbors, receive high-quality childcare, and be connected to more resources.
I would push to re-evaluate our planning to encourage re-use and re-development and to require the highest standards for development in rural or sensitive areas. Specifically, I will push for traditional economic development offering quality, above-living wage jobs to be located on pre-existing footprints. We know what is available and what can be retrofitted, versus new development. We also have economic development focused on place–generally in rural or sensitive areas. This is our farm tourism, ecotourism, and outdoor adventure tourism. To expand or establish such a business, I want those businesses to demonstrate how they benefit our community’s needs for living-wage jobs, affordable housing, and early childhood education, above and beyond how they benefit themselves.
4) Buncombe has seen a major and growing problem with opioid overdoses. What harm reduction policies do you favor to help save locals’ lives and health?
Critical changes include making all public bathroom doors emergency accessible (A-B Tech has done so), stocking overdose-reversing Narcan in public places, continuing policy of not arresting people for overdosing or for reporting an overdose, providing drug treatment to people in jail & treatment.
5) The sale of Mission Hospitals to HCA Healthcare promises to bring in a substantial amount of property tax revenues for the county. What do you believe should be the county’s top priorities for allocating these new funds?
#1 issue is Dogwood Health Board membership needs to reflect the people who will be served by the board–that’s where most of the money goes in this deal. The Board disperses the big money. Tax revenues: broad multi-year plans on opioid treatment, early childhood ed, and healthy livable communities.
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. Answers in this section that do not begin with “Yes” or “No” will not be published.
6) Do you favor turning full control of the sales tax revenues collected from the additional tax passed in the 2011 A-B Tech referendum over to the community college for its maintenance and construction needs?
Yes. Our Republican NC House member (at the time) wrote and passed a law that took control of construction management away from the college, so we’ll need a correction through state law. This is in addition to Commission needing, IMO, to allocate tax revenues to the college as promised to voters.
7) The explosive growth of the Airbnb industry has taken up a considerable portion of the housing stock in the city and county and, some critics assert, has furthered the local housing crisis. Do you favor a ban on future whole/home apartment Airbnbs in Buncombe County?
[Candidate’s answer did not begin with Yes or No]
8) Do you support the repeal of the state law mandating Buncombe County’s current district election system for county commissioners?
Yes. We need an end to gerrymandering and an independent non-partisan reform of districts throughout our state, including Buncombe County. I am for fair elections. Gerrymandering is the calculated theft of power from people.
9) A federal court recently ruled that N.C. law can’t bar transgender and non-binary individuals from using public restrooms and facilities that align with their gender identity. Do you favor Buncombe County adopting policies to ensure such access?
Yes. I prioritize single-occupancy fully accessible bathrooms because they equally serve PWD (People With Disabilities); provide safety, privacy, and dignity for all people, including parents with children. Those appear to be the new norm, and there’s no good reason for them to be labeled by sex.
10) Earlier this year, the city of Asheville directed the adoption of policies proposed by the local NAACP directing that law enforcement get written consent for all voluntary searches and prohibiting the use of prior criminal record or “suspicious behavior” as grounds for pursuing such searches. Do you favor passing similar policies for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office?
Yes. The Police Benevolent Association has endorsed veteran law enforcement officer and Sheriff candidate Quentin Miller, and Miller has voiced support for adopting that policy as Sheriff. That combination signals a local alignment of law enforcement reform and public support for policy change.