Young, Haynes, Mayfield win seats

Keith Young, the first African-American elected to an Asheville City Council seat since 2009, led the voting on Nov. 3. He also has been an outspoken proponent of a new downtown park on city-owned land across from the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the U.S. Cellular Center.

Also winning council seats in the field that was narrowed to six candidates in a primary were Brian Haynes, who finished second; and Julie Mayfield. They will be sworn into office on Dec. 1.

Young and Haynes have voiced some of the biggest concerns about fast-paced development in Asheville, while Mayfield is a regional environmental leader. Young is the deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court. Haynes is assistant manager for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.

Young snared 6,315 votes, followed by Hayes, with 6,271, and Mayfield with 6,114.

Failing to make the cut were financial advisor Rich Lee, 5,376 votes; Vice Mayor Marc Hunt (the election’s only incumbent), 5,178; and Lindsey Simerly, LGBT advocacy group campaign manager, 4,765.

“All glory and honor be to my Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Young told reporters after he had clinched a seat as the top vote-getter. “I’m just ecstatic and happy that money in elections isn’t everything and people speak out.”

Young, an organizer of the black youth empowerment group HoodTalk, spent the least money of any winning primary candidate.

Haynes, who campaigned against rising costs of living and booming growth, attributed his win to a large number of volunteers and other supporters.

“Right now, I’m ecstatic,” Haynes said. “I’m extremely happy for Keith. I was pulling hard for Keith. I’m looking forward to serving with him and Julie.”

Mayfield also thanked “a great team of volunteers and supporters” and residents who made her the top vote-getter in the primary.

“I would attribute it to the voters in Asheville who shared my vision for building a great future for Asheville that includes protecting our downtown, making Asheville more bikeable, walkable and transit-accessible, and expanding economic opportunities for everyone,” she said.

Mayfield, co-director of MountainTrue, an Asheville environmental advocacy nonprofit, said that, in her view, the most important issue facing Asheville is growth and “whether we’re growing in a way that benefits people who live here, as well as people who come here.”

“There is a strong sentiment out there that we’re catering too much to tourists and not enough to people who live here,” Mayfield said. “I’ll make sure to focus on the people who live here.”

Mayfield noted that the city has a request for proposals out for a firm to conduct a comprehensive planning process.

“We have to make sure that plan reflects the Asheville we want 10 and 20 years from now,” Mafield said. “I really do think that is the most important issue, and we have to get it right.”

Hunt said he had “absolutely no regrets,” starting from how he campaigned four and a half years ago and running through his one term on council. The vice mayor said he believed residents are looking for new voices to help address economic disparities in the city and the sense that locals can’t aford to live where they work.

“I think that manifested in the short-term rental issue,” Hunt said. “And people have related it to the St. Lawrence Green issue. ”The effect is “profound,” he said, and gets to the issue of control over the city’s future.

Vote shows 70% back new park, short-term rentals, Bothwell says

Following Asheville’s Nov. 3 councilmanic elections, Councilman Cecil Bothwell on Nov. 14 sent the Daily Planet an email headed, “YES WE DID!” that included subheads of “We the people just won a round” and “Won: Voters go to St. Lawrence Green.”

He said that “70 percent of voters supported candidates who support a green civic space opposite the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the Civic Center in downtown Asheville.”

Bothwell added that, “the next step, slated for a January vote by City Council, will be to suspend efforts to sell the (city-owned and vacant) Haywood Street property and engage the Asheville Design Center to begin planning” for a park.

What’s more, the councilman said, “Thanks to the recent election, it appears that sanity will soon raise its head in council consideration of HomeStay and Short-Term Rental regulations. “

Election winners Keith Young and Brian haynes have expressed support for permitting city residents to rent out their properties short-term, and Mayor Esther Manheimer has indicated she is ready to include accessory dwelling units as legal short-term rentals.”

Councilwoman-elect Julie Mayfield notified local news media on Nov. 11 that she has given back a campaign donation of $500 from prominent hotelier John McKibbon.

The Florida-based hotelier is involved with several major Asheville projects, including the already completed Aloft, along with the AC Hotel at College and Broadway streets, and the revamp of the BB&T Building in an “upper-upscale” hotel and condominium complex.

Mayfield said she wanted to “dispel any perception that I am beholden to anyone but the residents of this city.” A vote is set Dec.1 — the day she and the other two election-winners will be sworn in — on approval of McKibbon’s latest hotel project.