It’s the most contentious budget year in over a decade and as the public ramps up to officially weigh in, many key parts of the city’s $174 million budget remain undetermined or unclear Above: Asheville by night, photo by Bill Rhodes. From policing to the bus system to parks and

How the city backed away from defending renters, the housing crisis fueled segregation, a climate of fear faces tenants and much, much more on a key Asheville issue. An interview with Robin Merrell, Parker Smith and Ben Many of Pisgah Legal Services. Above: Graffiti criticizing the RAD Lofts project, which

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,

A year after a controversial hotel vote set new political boundaries on the issue, Council again faces a similar dilemma with an election on the way. A look at the latest battle lines in the hotel wars. Above: An image of the proposed Embassy Suites project, an eight story hotel

Asheville City Council delays a major hotel battle, expands (very slightly) the city’s borders and mulls what input on local election districts might look like Above: Asheville City Council member Julie Mayfield. File photo by Max Cooper. For awhile, it looked like Asheville City Council might begin 2017 like it

Airbnb-style rentals are a massive, controversial issue in Asheville. The Blade’s built a map to show where they’re being halted, who’s profiting, who owns them and more as local government continues to wrangle with this complicated behemoth Above: a shot from the Blade‘s interactive map showing the impact of Airbnb

Without much fanfare, Asheville City Council moves to put more power over hotels and downtown development in their hands, reversing nearly a decade of city policy Above: Asheville City Council member Brian Haynes. File photo by Max Cooper. Local politics, like any other level of politics, is often a study

Lessons from Council’s summer days. South Asheville organizes, process woes send bus system plans back to the drawing board, the bond vote moves forward and policing comes under serious scrutiny Above: Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. File photo by Max Cooper. Summer, including this particular, blistering one, is an unusual time

Council votes, reluctantly, for a developer’s relocation deal and sets the stage for some upcoming conflicts over transit, elections and more Above: Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler. File photo by Max Cooper. One of the biggest votes of the year passed without much remark in Asheville City Council’s chambers on June 14,