| Asheville City Council met on Sept 12 and agreed to renew City Manager Debra Campbell’s contract for two years. With her $250K salary, we’ve seen rising crime, police attrition, homelessness, and last year’s week-long water outage. Is this accountable leadership? 🤔 |
As residents of Asheville, we must ask: What are we getting in return for the city’s most significant salary? According to official city records, Debra Campbell, our City Manager, is the highest-paid city employee, earning an eye-popping $250,000 annually. Shouldn’t we expect more than mediocrity for that kind of financial commitment?
If the city is going to pay someone nearly $1/2million for a two-year contract, don’t we have a right to expect that person not just to meet our expectations but to exceed them?
A Litany of Unresolved Issues
Under Campbell’s watch, our city has grappled with a series of alarming problems:
- Police Attrition: The rapid turnover in our police force compromises public safety.
- Rising Crime Rates: Increases in violent crime and vagrancy make our streets less safe and our homes less secure.
- Homelessness: The growing homeless population is a humanitarian crisis affecting both downtown and suburban areas.
- Infrastructure Failures: Residents are still haunted by last year’s week-long Christmas water outage—a failure in essential municipal services.
These issues prompt a serious question: What unknown problems are festering beneath the surface?
Expectations Versus Reality
If Asheville is to invest this much money in a City Manager, the return on that investment should be nothing short of exceptional. So, let’s reflect: Has the city government met or exceeded your expectations in the last five years since hiring Campbell? For us, the answer is a resounding “No.”
Make Your Voice Heard
Enough is enough. We believe it’s time for a change in leadership to reverse the decline in our once-thriving city. If you agree, join us in taking action.
Sign First Tuesday’s petition and send an email to the Asheville City Council members at AshevilleNCCouncil@ashevillenc.gov. This email will reach all current city council members. You can use our prepared text or write your own—the most crucial thing is to take a stand.
Your Support Makes a Difference
Thank you for being an engaged citizen. Together, we can send a clear message to the city government: Asheville deserves better than what we’ve gotten under Debra Campbell’s tenure.
