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2009 Candidate Survey Responses & Voter Guide Candidate for City Council: César Romero 1. What are your top three policy priorities for your term, if elected?
2. An estimated 16-20% of Buncombe County’s children and youth live in poverty; a number expected to rise during this recession. What role, if any, does council play in addressing the impact of child poverty (e.g. hunger, health, nutrition, education) in the region? The city council role is very limited;
however, I believe that by working together we can overcome and mitigate the
impact of this recession. I will be proactive and try to organize a forum
among the major player such as Buncombe County Board of Commissioners,
Buncombe County School among others. 3. How effective has the City been in addressing youth crime, including gang-related activity? Are there other intervention and prevention strategies the City should invest in? I believe that the city of Asheville has
addressed youth issues well. There have been a number of activities offered
to youths, including after school activities such as sports, music, dances
and more. I also support the addition of two detectives to the Western
Carolina Gang Task Force. 4. What is your assessment of the City’s public transportation system? Would you propose changes? I believe that the city should extend the
frequency of bus rides and extend weekend hours as well. 5. The Asheville-Buncombe Living Wage Campaign calculates that a single person needs to earn $11.35/hr to have economic self-sufficiency in Asheville. Should the City ensure that all City employees and contractors make a living wage? Why or why not? Yes, the city should ensure that all city
employees and contractors make a living wage. 6. What further role, if any, should council play in the I-26 Connector debate? Asheville city council should play a major
role in the I-26 connector debate by trying to unite every authority such as
the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, small business organizations,
environmental organizations, among other groups, along with Asheville
citizens, to encourage and to lead the future debate. 7. Describe your vision for increasing affordable housing options in Asheville. How do the existing locations of the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville fit your vision? The role that the city council plays could be
significant, however; due to the limited role of the city council, it is
crucial to make sure that our efforts and resources are well used in order
to improve and provide affordable housing for most people. My vision for the
future for the Housing Authority is to build and encourage each organization
to work together with other government institutions, along with each citizen
in order to increase affordable housing in Asheville. |