Our city’s government is incredibly important, but it can be hard to understand or to know the most effective ways to become involved. So the Blade is providing public presentations to answer all those questions. Local government is incredibly important, shaping everything from housing to equity to safety. Asheville’s is

The controversial proposal to expand policing downtown has been marked by confusing claims, a lack of transparency, a broken process and inaccurate numbers. The public deserves better. Above: Numbers for a range of crimes in the South Slope neighborhood, where APD Chief Tammy Hooper claims crime is escalating, assembled from the

Tensions mount over a controversial push to expand policing, some shady numbers and paltry levels of funding for local social services as Council hashes out a budget Above: Asheville Police Department Chief Tammy Hooper. File photo by Max Cooper. For months tensions built. Normally sleepy committee meetings were packed with protesters.

Asheville’s boards and commissions have a lot of power and shape the whole city. But despite increased interest, they remain whiter, wealthier and more male than the city they represent Above: City Hall by night, photo by Max Cooper This is a collaborative project between the Blade and the Asheville Citizen-Times, investigating the make-up and

With a new Council on the way, here’s a look at Asheville’s government, what it does and how you can change it Above: City Hall by night, photo by Max Cooper. Today three new Asheville City Council members — Keith Young, Brian Haynes and Julie Mayfield — will be sworn

Once again, an important request for public records faces lengthy, unexplained delays from the city of Asheville. It’s time for this disturbing pattern to end Above: City Hall, file photo by Max Cooper. Update: The city of Asheville does track records of police complaints in annual internal affairs audits. On Friday,

A look at the Blade’s attempts to get public records from the city, what happened to them, and how long they took Above: City Hall by moonlight, photo by Max Cooper As part of a recent Sunshine Week collaboration with the Asheville Citizen-Times, the Blade looked into the number of open

Behind the numbers, criticisms, praise and efforts to reform how Asheville accesses public information about its own government and its records Above: Workers on scaffolding outside City Hall during recent renovations. Photo by Bill Rhodes. Every year Sunshine Week, which ended Saturday, marks a time dedicated to informing the public

Concerns, fears, mutual applause and setting the stage  for the biggest political fight Asheville’s seen in a long time, all at this year’s Council retreat Above: Council members’ notes, on the banquet room wall, about what accomplishments they’re proud of. This past Friday, Asheville City Council, several ranks of city

One view on the long, twisted road to making the APD evidence room audit public, and how it changed Asheville Above: District Attorney Ron Moore talking to press June 19, beside the 15-volume audit of the APD evidence room. Honestly, I never expected the day would come. There, on a