County seeks $290,000 for surveillance technology without explaining what residents are buying

Buncombe County Commissioners are being asked Tuesday to approve $290,000 from forfeiture funds for the Sheriff’s Office’s FY27 FUSUS/Axon contract and a “Camera Project at IGrant.” That’s essentially all the agenda packet tells the public. Fusus/Axon brings together numerous public and private camera feeds with other law-enforcement data, raising significant questions about privacy, data sharing, oversight, and civil liberties. We believe Commissioners should not approve additional funding for this technology without first explaining what the money will purchase, how the system is being used, what safeguards govern it, and what results it has produced.

Asheville creates another opportunity for community leadership of Juneteenth

The City of Asheville has reopened its search for a community production partner for the 2027 Juneteenth celebration, with proposals due October 30. We understand that the Evaluation Committee and City staff concluded that the original process had not produced the kind of locally-rooted community partnership they were seeking and chose to reopen the opportunity and conduct additional outreach rather than simply move forward. We appreciate that decision. Juneteenth should be shaped by people and organizations with meaningful connections to Asheville’s Black community, and reopening the process creates another opportunity for those organizations to participate.

Clear Safeguards Can Strengthen Asheville’s HOME-ARP Plan

On September 22, the Asheville City Council held a public hearing on proposed changes to the HOME-ARP program, which would expand rental assistance and case management while giving preference to people experiencing homelessness, particularly those who first became homeless as a result of Hurricane Helene. Council discussed how people would access assistance and how funds might be divided between direct aid and nonprofit staffing, but it did not discuss our recommendations for clear prioritization rules and regular public reporting. We continue to support the amendment and encourage Council to approve it, while asking residents to contact Council before written comments close October 2 and urge members to put these safeguards in place before final approval.

What’s on the Ballot: A Nonpartisan Workshop

Join GAPavl and community partners on Wednesday, October 7 at 6 p.m. for a nonpartisan workshop about the races, bonds, and ballot measures Asheville and Buncombe County voters will decide this fall. GAPavl is co-sponsoring and helping lead the workshop, which will be held at the YWCA of Asheville, 185 S. French Broad Avenue. The event is also hosted by Just Economics, the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville, The People’s Place AVL, Common Cause North Carolina, the Asheville-Buncombe League of Women Voters, and WNC Votes.