From Staff Reports

The state House of Representatives on May 2 gave final approval to legislation that ends Asheville’s control of the regional water system with no compensation to the city. In the aftermath, the city is considering a legal fight.

Specifically, the state House agreed with changes made by the Senate to N.C. House Bill 488 that would strip the water system from the city.

The action sends the bill to Gov. Pat McCrory for consideration. If signed by the governor, the new law would hand over control of the Asheville water system to the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County. 

In the aftermath, the city announced that Asheville City Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. May 7 “to consider authorizing legal action” against the move to take away its water system. 

From Staff Reports

Carl Mumpower, one of the most prominent political conservatives in Asheville history, announced on April 26 that he would leave the Republican Party over what he termed the “legislative larceny” of the Asheville water system.

When pressed May 2 for a status update on his vow, he emailed the Daily Planet that, while both Republican-controlled houses of the state General Assembly have voted to merge the city’s regional water system into the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County, “I’ll wait to see if (the) governor (Pat McCrory, also a Republican) signs it” before deciding whether to resign from the party. 

Mumpower added, “It’s a good bet that our governor is not altogether happy with the situation our local Republican legislators have put him in. 

“As the mayor of the largest city in North Carolina (Charlotte), he was an advocate for municipalities.  Now he is in a position of supporting what amounts to the greatest act of legislative theft against a city in our state’s history.”

Continuing, Mumpower asserted, “My bet is that this would not have progressed without the consent of his office and that he will sign the legislation into law. That action will reveal his dedication to opportunism over principle — just as it has for Republican Reps. (Tim) Moffitt, (Nathan) Ramsey and (Chuck) McGrady. 

A recent tweet by a Buncombe County Republican Party official — allegedly in a playful reference to The League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County as the “League of Women Vipers” — has resulted in the enrollment of at least three new members who joined because they objected to what they see as mean-spiritedness of the BCGOP.

At least that is the assessment of Karen Oeschlaeger, president of the local league chapter, who spoke to the Daily Planet in a May 2 interview about the tweet and her and the league’s relationship with local Republicans.

“So I’d like to thank the Buncombe County Republican Party for the publicity rush,” she said. “Thank you for the new members.”

On a more serious note, Oeschlaeger said of the “Vipers” tweet controversy, “Well, you know, it’s not really our top priority... We have the (upcoming) annual meeting” occupying most of the organization’s attention at the moment.