News

VOTER GUIDE: City candidates weigh in on Flock cams, annexation policy

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 15, 2026

Four candidates are running for two seats on the Hendersonville City Council. Terms are four years.

Incumbent Melinda Lowrance did not respond to the Lightning’s survey.

Meet the candidates

I’m Gina Baxter. I’m 37, and I work at a nonprofit supporting teen parents through pregnancy, birth and their children’s development. I earned my associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Blue Ridge Community College and my bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UNC-Greensboro. When I’m not working, I’m happiest outside exploring the mountains or diving into my latest rabbit hole about politics, music or history. I play a little piano, speak some Spanish, and am determined to get better at both. In my spare evenings, you can find me wherever there’s live music happening.

My name is Jeff Groh. I am 68 years old and married. I am blessed with one daughter, a son-in-law and a brand-new grandson. I have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) and MBA. I own two small businesses, one focused on the cement and concrete industry and the other in the poultry processing industry. My wife owns a business in Hendersonville. I am an avid runner and lifelong learner.

My name is Brett Werner, I am 44 years old, and I live with my wife, Katie—a middle school learning specialist—and our two daughters. I work as a retail food safety inspector for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and serve on the Hendersonville Board of Adjustment. In my free time, I enjoy hiking the trails in Pisgah National Forest with my family, trying to bake bread, smoking brisket, keeping backyard hens and gardening.

Why are you running for the Hendersonville City Council?

Werner: I am running to bring a pragmatic, grassroots approach to local government that prioritizes workforce housing, reliable infrastructure, and meaningful transparency. Through my work on the Board of Adjustment, I have seen the incredible potential our city holds. I want to ensure we manage growth responsibly, support mixed-use developments that benefit working families and our senior population, and maintain the quality of life that makes Hendersonville special, all while giving residents a clearer, more direct voice in city hall.

Groh: I’m running to bring a common-sense, business approach to council and provide more diversity of opinions and experience. My platform focuses on fiscal responsibility, safety and security, support of small business and maintaining the character of our small town. As an engineer, I spent 30+ years in industry. As VP of Technology for a large manufacturing company, I managed substantial budgets and organizations. Since leaving industry 13 years ago, my wife and I are small business owners. I have strong relationships with county officials and state legislators and want to use my extensive professional experience to move our town forward.

Baxter: We live in an amazing place, and I want to help ensure local people can afford to live and thrive here. I’ve seen our housing challenges firsthand, as have my friends, family, coworkers and clients. Too many have had to leave to find affordable, long-term housing. That experience led me to attend city meetings and learn how thoughtful infill development can expand housing options while limiting sprawl and preserving our community’s character. I believe local government should be responsive, collaborative, and rooted in genuine public service. I want to continue to listen, engage and thoughtfully represent all of our residents.

County commissioners often criticize the city for permitting high-density apartment complexes on the city’s borders. This generally requires the developer to agree to annexation. Do you agree with this city policy? Why or why not?

Groh: I do not support the city, explicitly or otherwise, to force annexation in exchange for a sewer connection. I generally oppose further annexation for several reasons. First, continuing to annex and grow the city limits into the county means we are forcing double-taxation onto more property owners. Whether someone rents or owns a home, that decreases housing affordability. Second, it decreases the funding for the county volunteer fire departments. And finally, as the city grows its budget and size, there will be increased pressure on taxes and it decreases the ability to maintain the character of our small town.

Werner: The reality is that it is the city’s infrastructure; if developers want to tie into it, they must agree to annexation. If the county were willing to invest and genuinely partner with the city on utility infrastructure, it could start a new, highly productive chapter in our relationship. Until then, we must protect the city’s utility capacity and ensure any annexed development pays for its infrastructural impact while addressing our need for workforce housing.

Baxter: Yes, I generally support annexation when the development is appropriate for the area. Annexation brings development under the City’s zoning and land-use standards and allows the City to provide services to the development. I think the answer is intentional planning: making sure new development is appropriately located, adequately served, and consistent with our community’s long-term goals. Our responsibility is to make thoughtful decisions about where and how growth happens, while protecting the character of our community and making sure we have the infrastructure to support it. My hope is that the city and county can form productive relationships that benefit all residents of the county.

What is your position on city Flock cameras?

Baxter: I’ve spent considerable time listening to the community on both sides of this issue and appreciate the strong resident engagement. After much thought and research, my position is that until we have a clearer understanding of how Flock uses and protects the data it collects, the cameras are more of a liability than an asset. My concern is not with our police department, which has taken every possible step to minimize data proliferation, but rather with Flock itself and what I believe are insufficient safeguards for highly sensitive information. I’m reluctant to limit a technology that can assist with public safety, but without greater guardrails, I cannot support it.

Groh: I view the cameras as another policing tool similar to weapons, data bases, etc. Can any tool be misused? Of course. Police officers are human beings and can make mistakes. There needs to be tough penalties in place for misuse of the technology. Chief Myhand supports that. I believe any 4th Amendment issues will be resolved through the courts and any additional guardrails implemented as necessary. The HCPD recently gave a presentation on their use of the technology and for now, I am satisfied that there is no need to ban the technology as the benefits outweigh the risks.

Werner: I support the use of LPRs in a closed-loop system, similar to the cameras on our downtown Main Street. However, I do not support Flock due to its data-sharing practices and the inability to prevent misuse. Locally, our police department and Chief Myhan have been extremely transparent, conducting audits and sharing those publicly. Ultimately, I believe the larger question of privacy and surveillance resides with the federal government and the need to address overall data misuse and AI.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the city moving ahead in the next 2-4 years and beyond?

Werner: The biggest challenge facing Hendersonville is managing rapid growth without displacing our workforce or overwhelming our infrastructure. We are seeing the strain on stormwater management, utility capacities, and housing affordability. Navigating the city-county interlocal agreement will be critical to addressing these regional growth and utility challenges. We must prioritize sustainable development, modernize aging infrastructure, and protect our neighborhoods’ character. Every step forward must be backed by transparent governance, long-term planning, and strong inter-governmental cooperation.

Groh: There are multiple challenges. First, there is a growing homelessness issue in the city that is not being adequately addressed. It impacts public safety, has a negative impact on businesses and is not compassionate. I published a 10-point plan on my website on how I would address that issue. Second, there are a myriad of interrelated issues involving housing supply, affordability and growth. We have to balance all three. Developers need clear zoning rules and reduced regulatory delays, and we need to control the size of government. That will increase supply and lower costs, making housing more affordable for everyone.

Baxter: I believe our biggest challenge over the next two to four years will be managing growth thoughtfully and holistically. We need to make sure Hendersonville remains a place where people of different incomes, ages, abilities, and backgrounds can afford to live, access services, and feel they belong. That means looking at housing, transportation, infrastructure, development, and public services as connected pieces of the same community. Growth brings challenges, but I’m confident we can meet them by planning ahead, listening to residents, working collaboratively, and making decisions based on long-term community needs. If we approach growth intentionally, we can welcome change while preserving what makes Hendersonville special.