Jackson’s last act
City manager Gary Jackson, the most powerful person in city government, is retiring. How he defined an era of Asheville’s politics — and who bore the brutal cost of his administration Above: Jackson’s name plaque, with him in the background, at the Asheville City Council…
Down the list
A road, a bailout, a hotel (again) and a parade of nuts and bolts items mark a Council meeting defined by changing power dynamics Above: Asheville City Council member Julie Mayfield. File photo by Max Cooper. After a ceremony and a brief meeting in December,…
Turnabout
The Airbnb wars take a decisive turn as Council passes a new ban in an attempt to halt a wave of housing losses Above: Asheville City Council member Vijay Kapoor, who asserted that the nearly-citywide ban on whole home/apartment Airbnbs was necessary due to the…
The Airbnb wars, a primer
Just before a major Council vote, here’s a look at the issue that’s rocked Asheville, one that remains highly complex and as brutally simple as power, money and displacement Above: part of a map from the 2016 Blade investigation into the city’s clampdown on illegal Airbnb-style…
Where we are now
The story behind a new Council, deep divides, a historic election and the fight over the heart of a city Above: the new Asheville City Council, shortly after its Dec. 5 swearing-in ceremony. Photo by Max Cooper. Ceremonies are revealing things. The one that took…
Oaths of office
New Asheville City Council members are sworn in, old ones depart and oaths are administered as the victors of November’s election take their seats Above: Locals gathered as the Dec. 15 swearing-in ceremony began. Photo by Max Cooper. On Dec. 5, after the hardest-fought election…
Escalation time
A major Airbnb showdown is delayed (until tonight) as new information emerges that the industry is gobbling up more housing than before and the river remains a major battleground in the city’s future Above: a key part of the Oct. 24 presentation on the city’s…
Asheville Blade 2017 city general election guide
As the most important election in many years nears the finish line, here’s our guide on where the mayoral and Council candidates about some of the key issues facing our city Above: City Hall under renovation. Photo by Bill Rhodes. As we’ve repeatedly emphasized here…
Assumptions, assumptions
A buried clause, obscured by city staff, spurs the latest chapter in the Airbnb wars and provides a revealing glimpse into who gets a say in Asheville’s growth Above: a map of the proposed Haywood Road rezoning that ended up the latest flashpoint in the…
Monuments of injustice
Veneration of the Confederacy is founded on lies about a brutal regime that terrorized millions. It’s long overdue to confront that history and the ways its evil still endures in our city today Above: With drills and crow bars, activists try to dismantle the Robert…
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