Woodfin – Some last-minute entries into Woodfin political races will make the fall election something to watch, especially the Woodfin Mayoral race.
First, Jim McAlister, the current vice mayor, was a shoo-in to succeed 20-year veteran mayor Jerry VeHaun, who chose not to run again. That was until the last day of candidate registration, when Jason Moore joined the race to be a challenger. In a press release, Moore told the Tribune he “is excited to be running for Woodfin Mayor.”
The release says, “Jason and his family are new arrivals to Woodfin, arriving last year following Jason’s retirement from 20 years as a U.S. Marine Corps Officer. As a new member of the Woodfin community, Jason is eager to apply his experience, commitment, and innovative ideas to address the challenges facing Woodfin today. As Mayor, Jason will focus on key areas like improving the quality of education for Woodfin-area schools and responsible, sustainable economic development. Over the coming weeks, Jason will embark on a comprehensive listening tour, engaging residents, business owners, educators, and community leaders to understand further the constituents’ needs, concerns, and visions for Woodfin’s future.”
Next, in another late filing, Larry Hopkins will run for a seat on the Woodfin District Water Board of Trustees. Hopkins said, “I am excited and honored to announce my candidacy for Woodfin Water Board Trustee. I am a native North Carolinian, a 40+ year businessman in the chemical industry, a veteran, a graduate of NCSU with a BS degree, and a graduate of Queens University with an MBA degree.”
He went on to say, “My wife, Lynda, and I live in the Reynolds Village area, and between us, we have four children and eight grandchildren. We chose Woodfin as our retirement home because of its quaint, quiet atmosphere. I began attending town council meetings and water board meetings to learn more about our community. I was approached by the Woodfin Town Administrator to see if I would be interested in serving on the Woodfin Planning Board. I was unanimously voted in by Woodfin Town Council, and I accepted the post.”
“I chose to run for Woodfin District Water Board Trustee because most people take water for granted. Water, in my opinion, is a valuable asset, as well as a necessity,” Hopkins said. “It can affect your personal health as well as real estate values. If elected, I will pursue excellent quality water for all water customers, proactive maintenance of the water system, protect the water system from overdevelopment, and protect the water system from all types of attack. With your support, I will do everything I can to make Woodfin ‘all that it can be!'”
Lauren Edgerton will also be vying for a seat on the Woodfin Water Board. In response to an email sent to the candidates, Edgerton, a 29-year-old clinical mental health counselor, told the Tribune she has had “the privilege of calling the Woodfin/Asheville area home for roughly a decade now. My husband Eric, my daughter Maeve, and I live a literal stone’s throw away from the French Broad River here in Woodfin. I am a proud product of the area’s higher-education system, having obtained my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and my master’s from Western Carolina University.” Eric is also a member of the town council.
As for why Edgerton is running, she said, “I come from a family that is strongly dedicated to public service. In both my professional life, working to serve some of the State’s most under-resourced populations as they battle mental illness and/or substance abuse, and through donating my time to area nonprofits, including, most recently, by serving on the Board of Directors of our local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, I have dedicated myself to improving my community in any way possible. I believe that, by implementing my vision for the Woodfin Water system, I can continue to have a tangible, positive impact on the Town I am proud to call home.”
What she hopes to achieve, she explains, “The principal focus of my campaign is on increasing the transparency with which the Woodfin Water District performs its work. For example, there is a clear need to tell Woodfin Water customers why the District has chosen to build up a fund balance that now tops $3 million. That is an amount that is nearly 200% of the District’s annual operating (non-capital) costs. There may be a justification for amassing a fund balance of this size- for instance, if there are major capital expenditures anticipated in the immediate future- but the District has made no effort at all to communicate to its customers what such capital needs might be. The 2024 budget literally states that there are no capital projects identified after the current fiscal year. The District has an obligation to either explain to its customers why it needs a fund balance of this size, or to immediately lower rates.”
She is concerned about a lack of transparency at the water board. “Unfortunately, this lack of transparency is par for the course at Woodfin Water. Despite the now nearly universal practice in local government of live-streaming meetings, the District Board in February expressly rejected a call to do just that. Viewed alongside the frequency with which the District Board goes into closed session, there appears to be an aversion to conducting its affairs out in the open for all of its customers to see. Such a state of affairs cannot be tolerated in local government, and I am running with the intention of changing that status quo.”
In response to a Tribune email to candidates asking for introduction letters/press releases, Johanna Young, wife of long-time Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young, who passed away after a long battle with cancer, said, “Thank you for reaching out to me. When I have my platform cemented, I will reach out to you with information about me and what I envision as a member of the Board. This will be in a few weeks, as I am focusing my attention right now on spending the last weeks together with the family as Autumn gets ready for College.” When the Tribune receives that email, we will get it to our readers.