County Commission Passed Resolution Establishing a General Obligation Bonds Community Oversight Committee on 9/16/22 (Minutes)

The County Commissioners voted 6-0 to establish an Oversight Committee for two bonds on the ballot in November totalling $70 million. One of these bonds (for $40 million) is specifically targeting affordable housing. The Oversight Committee will have five members: “one person with an accounting background, one person with a banking background, one representative of the affordable housing community, one representative from the conservation/ greenways community each to be appointed by this Board, and one member to be appointed by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.”

We raised concerns about this plan before it was passed. We think an Oversight Committee is a good idea, but are troubled that only one of the members is from the affordable housing community, when the majority of this bond package is concerned with providing affordable housing. We think the size of the committee needs to be expanded and there needs to be language inserted, requiring significant representation from communities with a history of adverse housing bias due to racism.