The election in Asheville was very predictable. Everybody running was of the same party, and the long-shots were playing the part all along. So done-deal was the election, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners convened a regular meeting.
One buzzy issue was brought up by three pastors. They wanted Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger to be held accountable for violating the law when he accepted and passed gay marriage licenses to the attorney general’s office. The pastors won the sympathy of Commissioner Joe Belcher, who said he took an oath of office to uphold the state constitution. Commissioner Ellen Frost said she was uncomfortable with the discussion, and so Chair David Gantt silenced it. Reisinger said he did not believe Amendment One was constitutional.
Another buzzy issue was the appointment of a new county attorney. Some of the commissioners were blind-sided by a resolution appointing a particular candidate. They had assumed the vote would be a little more democratic, but Chair Gantt assured them if the resolution failed, they could make another motion. The vote was 4-3, and everybody liked the new guy well enough. In more immature crowds, somebody might whine the resolution set them up to get off on the wrong foot.
