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4 SEASONS POLITICS: Democratic Women, Freeman endorsed

Henderson County Politics

Griffin challenges sheriff on crime stats, training center

Lowell Griffin, who is running for the Republican nomination for sheriff, rebutted some of Sheriff Charlie McDonald’s claims about crime reduction and questioned the need for a $20 million indoor training center.   Read Story »

Henderson County Politics

McDonald touts crime reduction, community engagement

Sheriff Charlie McDonald kicked off his re-election campaign before about 100 supporters, casting himself as a leader of ongoing change that has improved his agency. “Why do I want to be here another four years? Either I’m crazy or I have a sense of mission and purpose,” he told the gathering at the Boyd Chevrolet showroom on Sept. 14. “It’s probably both. I really believe if we can stay here another four years we will have firmly turned that aircraft carrier when it comes to how we provide service but also how we train and educate and promote and attract the right kind of people in law enforcement.”A reluctant and inexperienced candidate four years ago, McDonald has over his first term managed to attract support from across the county and throughout the Republican Party. He has a $100-a-head fundraiser scheduled next month at the Hendersonville Country Club with U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows and state Sen. Chuck Edwards as special guests.Appointed in early 2012 after the resignation of Rick Davis the previous November, McDonald has said he faced a major management task in rebuilding training, ethics and morale.“We’ve got professional standards that we’ve never had before,” he said. “We look at our folks not as expendable commodities despite what you may have heard. We do hold folks to a high level of accountability but we invest in them. We invest in them for your sake and we invest in them for their sake because we want that guy who comes in and wants to serve their community 30 years later as they’re retiring.“If morale and work ethic is any indication of how things are going I think we’ve got a tremendously successful sheriff’s office,” he continued. “Why? I’ve got a lot of support from the community. I’m going to need a lot of support from the community as we go forward once we win this election. But don’t ever forget it’s the men and women that do the job, day in and day out, who make me look good and make me proud.”McDonald also pointed to an aggressive outreach campaign and attempts to enlist neighbors and organizations in crime prevention programs and said that targeted enforcement approaches had reduced house burglaries and other crime.“One of our emphasis in the last five years has been, No. 1 return the sheriff’s office back to the community, engage with the community for the safety of itself and be able to work in partnership with the community to be able to enhance our way of life to provide better security and better interaction with law enforcement and the folks who elected us to serve them,” he said.“In the last five years we’ve reduced by four years straight we’ve reduced breaking and enterings and property crimes and Part 1 (violent) crimes by a significant amount,” he said. “If we stay on the track we’re on right now breaking and entering and property crimes has been reduced by 49 percent since we started keeping those records in 2012.“We’re an agency that’s come through a tremendous amount of cultural change. … I can tell you the Henderson County sheriff’s office, five years later, has gone through an awful lot, has endured a lot, is hands down one of the best, brightest and motivated sheriff’s office anywhere in the state of North Carolina.”He said when he encounters peers in law enforcement, they usually praise Henderson County’s sheriff’s office.“We really are the agency that most are measured by,” he said. “We’re just as committed now as we were five years ago when we started to continue to grow, to be responsive to the community, to be able always ensure that you get the professional level of service and courtesy from our folks. I’m amazed day in and day out by the calls and emails and just talking to people in the community who want to talk about and brag on what they see from our personnel.” SHIRTTAILSheriff McDonald is holding a fundraiser at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Hendersonville Country Club. Tickets are $100 per person or $175 per couple. For information or to buy tickets call Doris Hawkins 828.691.9700 or email hawkinsg@bellsouth.net. Lowell Griffin challenges McDonald on crime stats Lowell Griffin, who is running for the Republican nomination for sheriff, rebutted some of Sheriff Charlie McDonald’s claims about crime reduction and questioned the need for a $20 million indoor training center.“The incredible number that stands out is either 42 or 47 percent depending on the meeting you have attended,” Griffin said in a statement. “Any reduction in crime that dramatic would have law enforcement agency heads from across the country visiting to learn how this was accomplished. A reduction in this type of crime would mean the caseload for investigations would be reduced nearly the same 50 percent. Sounds like he could have reassigned detectives if this was actually the case instead of asking for additional personnel.”Griffin, a captain in the Polk County sheriff’s office, said that as a law enforcement instructor, “I completely understand the need for training and more training.” The proposed training center, he added, “is a facility for marksmanship training that offers little to nothing in the way of training for real world encounters. There is no provision for training in the elements, moving and shooting in multiple directions, practicing proper cover and concealment techniques on a tactical approach, etc. As a matter of fact, it offers no more than the current indoor range at the Western North Carolina Justice Academy offers other than longer shooting lanes. This proposal comes with an extravagant price tag and will not meet the needs of the officers.”Griffin, one of about eight officers that McDonald sacked after his election in November 2014, vowed to shield deputies from campaign politics.“I have a plan that I will reveal that will provide increased job security for the employees,” he said. “Henderson County deserves officers that are not afraid to do their job for fear of political reprisal. I envision officers’ productivity increasing as officers feel secure in their careers as they no longer are forced to combine the stresses of the job with political pressures from within.” Head shot ofMiller Miller holding campaignkickoff Thursday at SABFirst-term Hendersonville City Council member Jeff Miller will hold a campaign kickoff celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, at the Southern Appalachian Brewery, 822 Locust St.“I want to invite everyone to come by and visit for a while and have a bite to eat. We promise there won’t be any long speeches or anyone asking for contributions,” Miller said. “This is a time to celebrate the things we’ve accomplished over the past few years and to create some enthusiasm for all we have to look forward to here in Hendersonville.”Miller, who has served on City Council since 2013, decided to run because he felt it was important for there to be a member on the Council who had owned and operated a business in the city.“I never felt as though the Council was anti-business, but I did believe that a majority of its members did not completely understand the ramifications of some of the ordinances they passed,” he said in a news release. “I bring to the table the ability to explain things from the business side as well as understanding, from a resident’s point of view, the impact of Council’s decisions.”He added that his decisions are based on a common sense approach and always built around civil discussion with other Council members and the public.Key objectives Miller wants to pursue in a second term include balancing healthy and planned growth while maintaining Hendersonville’s “small town feel” along with water and sewer capacity/quality, road maintenance and expansion of the Oklawaha Greenway.“I am running for a second term because I would like to continue working with council and staff — there’s still so much to do,” Miller said. Head shot ofMcGrady Cities honor McGradyfor sinking billboard law State Rep. Chuck McGrady was recognized Friday as one of two recipients of the N.C. League of Municipalities’ Community Champion Award. State Sen. Paul Newton was also honored with the award.The award was presented to each legislator for dedicated support of North Carolina cities and towns during the 2017 legislative session. The presentations took place at CityVision 2017, NCLM’s annual conference held this week in Greenville.Representative McGrady is serving his fourth term in the N.C. House, representing Hendersonville and portions of Henderson County. A co-chair of the House Appropriations Committee, he was a key advocate for the defeat of harmful billboard legislation that the League actively opposed.“I so much appreciate this recognition from my kindred souls in local government,” said McGrady, a former Flat Rock Village Council member and Henderson County commissioner.Outgoing League President Bob Matheny, mayor of Zebulon, praised both Newton and McGrady for their willingness to listen to and consider the concerns of municipal officials.“We truly appreciate your work at the General Assembly and that you are willing to make the sacrifice to serve in Raleigh,” Matheny said.   Read Story »

Henderson County Politics

Henson to seek re-election to state House

First-term state Rep. Cody Henson announced Thursday that he is running for re-election for the House District 113 seat he won in 2016.   Read Story »

Henderson County Politics

'Impossible? That's cool,' Donaldson says of run for Congress

Scott Donaldson, a happy warrior who announced last week that he is running for Congress, laughs a lot and grins a lot.   Read Story »

Henderson County Politics

Dr. Donaldson to run for Congress as Democrat

Scott Donaldson, a Hendersonville urologist, plans to run for the 11th Congressional District as a Democrat.   Read Story »

Edneyville Politics

LIGHTNING EDITORIAL: Growth highlights need for comp plan update

Henderson County commissioners are having a hard time deciding whether to invest in a sewer line to serve the new Edneyville Elementary School because they have no idea what the longterm impact might be. It’s understandable.Development follows utility lines. Growth continues here at a pace not seen since the pre-crash days up to 2008. We’re seeing development heat up in the form of multi-family or senior housing requests that have come before the Board of Commissioners and Hendersonville City Council. The sewer line question has vexed commissioners because it could lead to explosive growth, because it would add pressure to transform apple orchards into tract housing and because it renews the bugaboo that the county would be ceding control of growth management to the city of Hendersonville, which owns the sewage treatment plant.County Engineer Marcus Jones presented a detailed study of the options for serving the new elementary school. One of the statistics was that zoning along the sewer line path would permit 10,766 multi-family units — a figure that’s more of a math equation than a market analysis. Overwhelmed by that alarming statistic and other factors, commissioners booted the sewer line decision for a second time after directing the county manager to negotiate a possible cost-sharing arrangement with the city.The issue, as Commissioner Grady Hawkins observed, is much larger than the Edneyville sewer line alone. The county’s comprehensive land-use plan, and not a sewer line, ought to guide growth in the county. Adopted in 2007 — after years of resistance by elected leaders of the day, including Hawkins — the comp plan is starting to fray from development pressure and a real estate market shift from big houses on one-acre lots to condos, cluster homes and rental units on grass that the busy retiree doesn’t have to mow.“It’s about at its shelf life,” Hawkins said of the 10-year-old land development code. “We need to be working on an update to the comprehensive land-use plan…. One way or another, we’re going to do something and I think it needs to be in concert with a plan that’s fairly well coordinated with the comprehensive land-use plan.”For veteran consumers of news about county government, Hawkins’ epiphany is meaningful. Among the five commissioners, Hawkins has the most experience in the politics of land-use planning and the deepest appreciation for the hazardous shoals of rezoning requests.In the recent past, homeowners have filled county meeting rooms to express shock and anger that:• Rural residential (R2R) zoning, which permits just two dwellings per acre, allows an event barn, which is a commercial use.• Residential One (R1) zoning (intended to “foster orderly growth where the principal use of land is residential) allows 16 dwellings per acre plus an RV park, restaurant, clubhouse, wellness center, etc.• Residential 2 (R2) zoning would allow 198 rental units on the 85-acre Horse Shoe Farm property on the French Broad River.In addition, the land-use code allows dozens of commercial or institutional uses allowed in residential zones as long as the Zoning Board of Adjustment issues a special-use permit.An Edneyville sewer line would be the latest potential driver of development that raises the need for a fresh look at the comp plan. There will be others. The Board of Commissioners is at a point how where it ought to authorize a broad review of the land development code with a goal of making the plan more compatible with the market.A standard SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) would show commissioners that the comp plan is weak when it comes to protecting established residential zones from dense and intense development.With the right land-use tools, the Board of Commissioners could turn a bullish real estate market, the baby boom retirement wave and an Edneyville sewer line into an opportunity for quality growth.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Politics

County GOP to celebrate new headquarters

The Henderson County Republican Party will host a grand opening of its headquarters from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. The new space is located at 170 Four Seasons Shopping Center behind the Applebee’s Restaurant on Four Seasons Boulevard. The public is invited.Light refreshments will include the HCGOP’s famous Apple Festival Apple Cobbler (while it lasts). “We are very pleased to have this new headquarters facility,” said party Chair Merry Guy. “It’s very convenient in terms of location, parking, and layout. This is an all-around great place for us to hold educational forums, conduct Party business and help Republican candidates win. We anticipate being in the building and open to the public from now until after the 2020 elections, with an option to renew.” “We believe our new headquarters will enable us to further Republican policy positions, meet with more voters and provide a central location to gather to plan for the future," she added. "Our goal is to help build ‘A better America for all Americans’ and we are just delighted to be able to open for business this early in the 2018 election cycle.” For more information contact Merry Guy through the HCGOP website, hendersoncountygop.com, or call 828-693-6040.   Read Story »

Hendersonville Politics

Kushner boosts Meadows fundraiser in Asheville

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows benefited from a fundraiser Thursday night that attracted about 150 supporters to the Asheville home of Mike Summey, a retired real estate investor. The guests included A-lister Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump and a senior adviser in the White House. "Meadows and Kushner have discussed Israel — part of Kushner’s portfolio, and a key issue for Meadows — and he has talked with Ivanka about paid leave, which faces long odds in the Republican Congress," Politico reported in Friday morning's Political Playbook. "We had a fundraiser and Jared Kushner flew down to help with that," Meadows said Friday morning in Hendersonville, where he attended the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast and the opening ceremonies of the North Carolina Apple Festival. "The president called in and that was probably the highlight. He was telling the people how much he loves North Carolina." Politico noted the role of Meadows, "now one of the most powerful men in the Capitol," as a bridge between conservatives in the House and Trump administration. "Kushner traveling to North Carolina ahead of the long weekend shows the nature of the relationship between Meadows and members of the Trump administration," the report said. Meadows said he didn't know how much the event raised for his 2018 campaign. "I just basically thank them for coming," he said in a short interview with the Hendersonville Lightning at the pancake breakfast. "I learned a long time ago that if you focus on people and not politics things have a way of working out. We would rather be here shaking 500 hands and letting people know we care than raising money to buy ads to try to convince them we care."     Read Story »

Henderson County Politics

Sheriff sets re-election campaign kickoff Sept. 14

Sheriff Charlie McDonald will kick off his 2018 re-election campaign next month with an event that featues food, music and a shotgun raffle. The Committee to Re-Elect Sheriff Charles McDonald on Sunday sent out an email blast inviting supporters to the kickoff from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Boyd Automotive at 1875 Spartanburg Highway. "The event will feature food and refreshments, live music and an opportunity for the Sheriff’s supporters to meet with him personally," the invitation said. "A Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun will be raffled off with the drawing occurring at 8 p.m. This event is open to the public and all are invited to attend." The committee also invited supporters to join McDonald as he walks the King Apple Parade on Labor Day. Supporters were urged to gather on the parade staging area at 12:30. An email later on will give more details, the committee said. Sheriff since he was appointed to the vacant post in March 2012, McDonald won the Republican nomination for the seat in a May 2014 primary election over Erik Summey and Michael Brown and defeated Democrat Marty Katz in the general election.     Read Story »

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