The city of Asheville is under attack by state GOP Reps. Tim Moffitt, Nathan Ramsey and Chuck McGrady. It is a hostile and irresponsible attack on our infrastructure with their House Bill 488 that will financially cripple our city by forcibly merging Asheville’s public water utility with the Metropolitan Sewerage District.
This is an outright seizure of a city’s asset against the citizens’ wishes. No compensation is offered for the taking of this excellent municipal asset, which is valued between $57 million (low-ball MSD estimate) and $1.3 billion. Asheville stands to lose $1.9-plus million a year from the water utility’s portion of shared central services. As the financial hub of Western North Carolina, this will impact more than 1.3 million people living in 23 counties and negatively impact the region’s business growth and development.
Moffitt and company's HB-488 is legislated theft — on a grand scale. How ironic coming from Republicans and their supposed bedrock values of local home rule, pro-business and growth; and their supposed values that harp against freeloaders and government overreach.
Beware, N.C. cities — the N.C. GOP is coming after your assets and you local self-determination. Call and write to your N.C. legislators and vote in 2014 for more responsible leadership in Raleigh.
— Anne Walch
Asheville
