Local Monday

Photo courtesy of UNCA

Having journeyed to the wilds of central Florida and back, I’m right and ready to tuck in to the work before me here in AVL.  Today the work is counseling, and tomorrow it’s a’counciling.  For a couple of hours tomorrow, the folks up at City Hall are going to show me around and get me hooked up with paperwork and the necessary accoutrements.  Swearing in will be December 8th at 5pm followed by some hooliganesque fete somewhere near city hall.  Stay tuned for more details.

Here are some city news items that you may have missed:

Thanks to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force for doing this:

The city’s first survey of bicyclists and pedestrians could help make city and county streets safer for biking and walking.

The inaugural count, which tallied the number of cyclists and pedestrians at 51 intersections in Asheville and Buncombe County, gives city planners a baseline for measuring the usefulness of improvements and provides data on areas that could use additional facilities like bike lanes and sidewalks.

I’m taking suggestions on this next item.  Until we get closer to June, we won’t have the final sales tax numbers, but things don’t look pretty.  It’s going to be a very difficult budgetary season and therefore very important that all of you stay involved to advocate for your priorities:

A projected $5.1 million budget deficit has elected officials eyeing cuts to municipal services, including parks, Civic Center operations and aid to festivals.

The City Council won’t set Asheville’s budget until June, but news last week of a multimillion-dollar gap between tax revenue and city operating costs has some council members already pointing to possible sacrificial lambs…

Thank goodness the County Commissioners have restored the zoning ordinance. Though it was too late for those in Weaverville who are yoked with a concrete plant.

If you’ve got local issues you want to discuss, please leave them in the comments or email me at gordonsmithasheville AT yahoo DAHT kom.