Last week was the busiest week of the session so far. The reason for this hectic activity was that legislative leaders decided they wanted to adjourn in late June, so any bills of general application that would likely pass were run last week. Why? Bills of general application, in contrast to local bills only affecting […]
Annexation
Good Week, Bad Week…Last Week!
Having overridden Governor Cooper’s veto of the budget, the General Assembly concluded its work just past 2:00 am on June 30, and headed home. The legislature had rocked along at a fairly slow pace until the last few weeks, but then completed its work in a series of long days and nights. More legislation was […]
Ending Forced Annexation
Annexation has been a subject of controversy and contention in North Carolina for many years — most especially with regard to what is called “forced annexation.” For nearly a half-century, North Carolina was one of only three other states left in the nation that allowed a city to annex private property outside its borders — […]
Asheville Regional Airport Authority
In 1936, the City of Asheville, the City of Hendersonville, and Henderson County together purchased 122 acres in what is today the Fletcher Industrial Park for what was then to be the “Asheville and Hendersonville Airport.” Too mountainous, the site prevented future expansion so Asheville voters approved a $1.2 million bond referendum to build a […]
The water: Our Report to the North Carolina General Assembly
The Public Utility Water System, currently managed by the City of Asheville Water Resources Department, continues to be a topic of substantial concern within the unincorporated (non-City of Asheville) community. It is important to note that this discussion involves the ratepayers (customers of the water system) of the Public Utility Water System managed by the […]
Annexation Reform
Annexation has been a subject of controversy and contention in North Carolina for many years — most especially with regard to the issue of what is called “forced annexation.” For nearly a half-century, North Carolina was one of only three other states left in the entire nation which gave cities the power to annex desirable […]