QUESTIONABLE
Who gets a voice in choosing Asheville’s next City Council member?
Asheville City Council must appoint someone to fill the seat Kim Roney will vacate when she becomes mayor. This decision should be made through an open, fair, and transparent process that allows qualified residents to apply, gives the public a meaningful opportunity to participate, and ensures that all applicants receive fair consideration. Council will discuss the vacancy at Tuesday’s Policy, Finance, and Infrastructure work session, where public comment is not permitted. Council should not move toward a predetermined outcome without first hearing from the community.
REPORT BACKS
Treatment Court grant could expand recovery and help ensure everyone gets a fair chance
Buncombe County Commissioners unanimously approved the $1 million federal grant to strengthen the County’s treatment courts, a decision GAP strongly supported. During the discussion, Commissioner Drew Ball asked how American University’s evaluation support would improve the program, and staff described assistance with data collection and analysis. However, no one addressed our central recommendation: that the County examine and publicly report whether racial and ethnic disparities exist in who enters treatment court, who completes it, and who is terminated. We welcome the grant’s approval, but this important accountability question remains unanswered.