Three major political issues — wrangling over the budget, short-term rentals and the ‘Pit of Despair’ — take center stage for Council, but many answers wait for another day Above: a slide on ending the ‘Pit of Despair’ reputation of the city property across from the Basilica, presented in December

Democrats, including two local legislators and Asheville’s mayor, ignore civil rights groups and cave on HB2, leaving the law practically intact. With its roots in earlier ‘compromises’ by our city’s leaders, this politically incompetent and morally bankrupt act is something no one should forgive or forget Above: Anti-HB2 protesters in

With major decisions at stake from policing to energy to housing, Asheville’s elected officials, bureaucrats and locals are off to an early start fighting over the shape of the coming budget Above: CFO Barbara Whitehorn, who heads up the city’s budget efforts. File photo by Max Cooper. Locals packed City

Another year, another legislator trying to force a change in city elections. A primer on the latest plan, the local reaction and what it might mean Above: Proposed Asheville City Council districts under last year’s failed state Senate bill. A state legislator is now reviving these districts if local government

Once again, a state legislator plans to force district elections on Asheville and the Airbnb issue reopens, in a Council meeting marked by old battles coming back for another round Above: Mayor Esther Manheimer, file photo by Max Cooper. The Feb. 28 Asheville City Council meeting, relatively brief as it was,

Despite a year of criticism and controversy involving senior city staff, at the recent Council retreat it was all back-patting and consolidating power for the city’s top officials Above: One of the discussion boards at Council retreat, sketching out a delegation of authority that could potentially give City manager Gary Jackson

New restrictions on hotels and development in the heart of Asheville mark the quiet end of an era of consensus among city bureaucrats, downtown gentry and elected officials. Above: City Hall by night, photo by Max Cooper. While it didn’t exactly rattle the windows or send town criers scurrying into

In addition to the long-form journalism Blade readers have come to know and love, please check out the round-ups of our live coverage for on-the-ground insights into what’s going on in our city. City Hall under renovation. Photo by Bill Rhodes. Hello readers, I hope this brief informational update finds you all

Parking, corporate expectations, technicalities, swearing, gentry pleadings, failed deals and more as Asheville City Council unanimously rejects a major hotel project Above: Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler. File photo by Max Cooper. For the latest chapter in a major political battle, the fight over the Embassy Suites had few of the

For years Southside community members pushed for the renovation of a long-neglected historic pool. But city government might go forward with other plans. Behind the debate about who decides the fate of a local landmark. The Walton Street pool isn’t in good shape, on that everyone agrees. Built in 1938,