Allison Scott on the Issues
Allison’s Priorities
Affordable Housing for All
When a worker in Asheville earns minimum wage of $1,256 a month, average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment is $1,771, and median home price is over $400,000, to me, that's a crisis for our community. Our government needs to commit to building and supporting deeply affordable living. From a government perspective, this can be accomplished through working with community land trusts, rent assistance in addition to Section 8 vouchers, and advocating for BIPOC community-led housing initiatives from the Asheville Reparations Fund Commission. I would like to explore using city-owned land to build more affordable housing, in partnership with Buncombe County. I would support removing R1 zoning in the city that only allows for single-family homes. I would also advocate for more micro-home communities and would advocate for the relaxation of tiny home restrictions.
Safe Communities
None of us should live in fear for our families and personal property. I hear that some residents have concerns about community safety and often cite high levels of poverty, rise in substance abuse, and lack of social safety nets as contributors to those fears. As a City Council member, I will support the creation of city rapid response teams to care for people in substance abuse or mental health crises, like Buncombe County’s paramedicine teams, so that police personnel can be better utilized. I served and chaired the Asheville Citizens Police Advisory board for three years. During that time, I brought forth several issues with policing equitably and fairly in our city. Funding should be earmarked specifically for modernizing policing by focusing on innovative, standalone, de-escalation-based programs.
Transparent Local Government
Transparency in local government is a top priority for me. All of our neighbors in Asheville should know about the process of local decision-making. As a City Council member, I will work towards ensuring city council meetings have in-person and virtual options, changing council check-in meetings to be publicly accessible via streaming and recording, improving timely responses to requests for public records, and engaging Asheville's community members through quarterly community meetings where the council comes to neighborhoods .
Key Issues
Houselessness
Houselessness is a solvable issue, but it’s going to take real investment from our local government and community to solve it. I will support minimum wage initiatives that reflect the true cost of living in Asheville; I will champion creating city rapid response teams similar to Buncombe County paramedicine teams; I will collaborate with all local organizations (faith-based, nonprofit, etc.) along with the community residents to utilize our existing systems and facilitate partnerships for wraparound services to support our unhoused neighbors; and I will work to engage and educate our community around the issues that have led to this crisis.
Equity and Diversity
I believe effective government and equitable communities need diverse candidates such as myself. I would be the first transgender person elected to public office in North Carolina and that sends a message for our city and citizens. I have worked for over a decade across underrepresented communities to build coalitions to create change. Bringing diverse groups of people to the table will always be my priority as an elected official.
Reparations
Asheville’s legacy of redlining and urban renewal make reparations a necessary part of achieving racial justice. I was pleased to see the committee members selected recently and I believe the city should earmark in the budget continued funding for reparations. It is crucial that Black leadership continue to steer and control this process, with meaningful community input in the Commission’s recommendations. Addressing our legacy requires that we budget in to continue funding reparations.
Climate Change
Combatting the effects of climate change is a substantial and important directive for the city. Our carbon footprint can be reduced in many ways including adopting LEED Gold Standard for city buildings, encouraging city work-from-home initiatives for city employees where feasible, and working with Buncombe County government to implement park-and-ride transportation opportunities for county residents. Asheville also should reinvest savings from green initiatives into the Green Capital Improvement Program. Flooding and frequent intense storm events are becoming more common in our city and we need to ensure the city is protected and ready for these events by investing and modernizing our outdated infrastructure to withstand them. The City Council has committed to a 2030 Renewable Energy Goal. I support more oversight with a plan for quarterly updates on this commitment to ensure that we meet our annual 4% carbon emission reduction. We can also make strides by educating city residents about national and state green programs that offer discounts and incentives to implement.
Development
Sustainability is key for the health of our community. We need to work to make Asheville a more livable city for locals, with priority on housing and diversify our economy with good jobs outside of tourism. We can not keep developing without regards to the impact on the neighborhoods and infrastructure as an afterthought. Mature tree canopy can not be replace by replanting young trees after cutting down decades of growth.
Tourism
Any industry left unchecked will become a problem. Tourism can be made sustainable by working with state legislators to reallocate funding from advertising to city programs and infrastructure. If state legislators are unwilling to change the current 75% funding statute of the Tourism Development Authority, then I will work with Buncombe County Commissioners to disband the TDA.
Restructuring Boards & Commissions
As someone who has served on city boards for years I believe they are invaluable and under utilized tool for our city. We do not need to hire consultants when we have local experts who are currently donating their time and energy to serve on boards and commissions. I believe we need to work to implement their recommendations before seeking outside input.
Public Transportation
I approve of the city’s decision to apply for federal grants to support the move to electric vehicles. I would also support a hotel occupancy tax to raise funds for initiatives such as expanding public transportation. I believe that in the long-term moving to electric transportation with lower operating and maintenance costs will provide further funds for the system.
I often commute to work and run errands on my bicycle. I strongly support a focus on safety and the creation of more buffered bike lanes. I would focus efforts on working towards making our city more bike-friendly and safer for everyone. My priority would be reducing automobile traffic by repurposing streets to include buffered bike lanes and prioritize pedestrian walkways where possible.
I would collaborate with the County to establish more park and ride transportation opportunities for residents who live in the county and work in the city.