Amanda Edwards and Van Duncan, the candidates for Buncombe County Commission Chair, covered plenty of topics at a July 23 forum hosted by LOTSAR. But much of the conversation was focused on two areas – the county’s budget process and the area’s housing affordability challenges.
The forum, moderated by LOTSAR president Nick Hinton, was tied to LOTSAR’s desire to increase awareness of where local candidates stand on issues. LOTSAR does not endorse candidates, but will sometimes support candidates if they match LOTSAR’s stances on key issues that affect the Realtor community.
In the recent forum, both candidates agreed that Buncombe County needs to refine its budget planning process to avoid last-minute surprises. Duncan suggested that the county take a hard look at where it spends its money to make sure there is a proper return on investment. Edwards focused on the process, emphasizing that staff and elected leaders need to work closely to bring as much predictability to the process as possible.
A number of issues related to housing were also discussed. Neither candidate is a fan of rent control. As for rising property tax rates, Edwards said there needs to be a curb on drastic tax increases, while Duncan brought the issue back to overall budget challenges.
Certainly, one way to ease the housing affordability crisis would be to build more housing that a wide range of people can afford. Duncan talked about lowering obstacles for builders, while making sure structures are safe. A key to this would be to grow the staff that handles permit applications, he said. Edwards focused on how the county is making progress in raising bond revenue for housing, and needs to do more in this regard.
Finally, both candidates weighed in on issues involving Asheville’s unhoused population. Duncan talked about how Asheville should not become too accommodating, and Edwards talked about how the unhoused population’s issues often trace back to mental health challenges. She also mentioned that she thinks downtown needs a larger law enforcement presence.
The forum was well-attended, with no shortage of questions from the audience.
“We are pleased to host forums like this because we want to help our members be informed on the issues,” said Matt Allen, Director of Professional Development and Government Affairs for LOTSAR. “There is no shortage of challenges for us as residents of a fast-growing area, and LOTSAR is committed to providing space for our members to become better informed on important issues facing our community.”
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