Keith Young | www.KeithforAVL.com
Why are you running for Asheville City Council and what do you think distinguishes you as the best candidate?
I’m running for Asheville City Council in 2026 because Asheville needs proven leadership that can deliver in a difficult moment. Post Helene recovery, housing affordability, and basic infrastructure reliability are urgent. And the city is also staring at a roughly $30 million budget deficit, which means we have to govern with discipline and protect the city’s long term financial strength while we rebuild. What distinguishes me is a proven record of implemented outcomes and responsible stewardship. When I was in office, the city maintained top tier credit strength and a healthy fund balance. That matters because it protects taxpayers, lowers borrowing costs, and helps us rebuild without weakening the city’s foundation. In five years on Council, I led major infrastructure investment and focused on the unglamorous work that keeps a city functioning. I also led living wage increases for city workers, Ban the Box hiring reform, creation of the Department of Equity and Inclusion and the Human Relations Commission, contracting reforms for minority and women owned businesses, and helped establish Asheville’s reparations framework. I do policy, votes, and follow through. Results matter.
Please briefly describe your experience and qualifications that will enable you to be an engaged and effective member of the Asheville City Council, including other elected or appointed offices that you’ve held:
I served five years on Asheville City Council 2015-2020, and I know what it takes to be effective inside city government, doing the day to day work, building coalitions, and moving decisions from debate to implementation. During my term, I led major infrastructure investment and delivered implemented policy, including living wage increases for city workers, Ban the Box hiring reform, creation of the Department of Equity and Inclusion, and contracting reforms that expanded opportunity for minority and women owned businesses. I also served on Asheville Reparations Commission and helped establish the city’s reparations framework. Since leaving office, I have stayed deeply engaged in local policy and accountability, including co founding Government Accountability Project Asheville, available at gapavl.org. I also bring executive education in implementing public policy from Harvard Kennedy School along with being a member of Harvard’s Community of Practice for implementing Public Policy. I also have national public policy experience, and a BFA in visual communications from Virginia State University, which strengthens how I analyze issues, communicate clearly, and stay accountable to residents.
What do you believe are the most pressing issue(s) for our city? What specific policy changes would you propose to address these issues?
The most pressing issue is Helene recovery, because if we do not rebuild faster and smarter, everything else gets worse. The specific policy changes I would propose are to run recovery like a delivery program, with clear permitting and inspection service targets, a public dashboard with weekly milestones, and streamlined rebuild approvals when objective standards are met. We should prioritize the core systems that make daily life possible, water and stormwater, roads and sidewalks, slope and drainage stabilization, and hardened infrastructure so the next storm does not knock us backward again. Right behind that is the budget and the city’s financial foundation. With a roughly $30 million deficit, we have to adopt a multi year financial plan that rebuilds the fund balance and protects the city’s credit rating. That means disciplined budgeting focused on core services and infrastructure, stronger contract and program accountability, and performance based budgeting with transparent reporting so residents can see results. Housing affordability and displacement remains a constant pressure. The policy changes I would propose are predictable by right approvals when objective standards are met, missing middle housing citywide, faster and more transparent permitting, and permanent affordability tools using public land and shared equity models like the community land trusts so we create homes that stay affordable. Results matter.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has a policy agenda, which focuses on four key areas: housing, infrastructure, workforce development, and resources and support for businesses. Based on those key areas, how would you prioritize these and are there policies that you would move forward to address these issues?
Infrastructure and recovery come first, because post Helene nothing else works if the basics are broken. Reliable water and stormwater systems, roads, sidewalks, and predictable permitting are foundational for housing, workforce stability, and business success. The policy focus should be faster, more transparent delivery with clear service targets, recovery dashboards, and coordinated inspections so homes and businesses can rebuild and reopen without delay. Housing is next because affordability directly affects workforce retention and economic growth. The policies I would advance are predictable by right approvals when objective standards are met, missing middle housing citywide, simpler and faster permitting, and permanent affordability tools using public land and shared equity models so solutions last. Workforce development ties these together. I was part of the workgroup that helped build the Chamber’s Inclusive Hiring Partners program, and my mission is to help grow it bigger and better by expanding employer participation, aligning it with city procurement and infrastructure jobs, and strengthening wraparound support so more residents can move from surviving to thriving. Resources and support for businesses should focus on speed, predictability, and coordination, because results matter.
Specifically, how would you propose that the City of Asheville allocate its resources to grow the economy, attract workforce, and support businesses?
Asheville grows its economy by funding the basics and making the city predictable. I would prioritize core infrastructure reliability, storm recovery resilience, and a faster, transparent permitting and inspection system so businesses and builders can plan and open on time. I would use city land and capital strategically to expand workforce housing near jobs, because housing costs are the biggest workforce recruitment issue we control locally. I would align contracts and incentives around measurable outcomes, support small and minority owned businesses with fair access to city procurement, and invest in the practical supports that keep workers here, including transportation access and safe, functional public spaces. The goal is a city that is easier to build in, easier to hire in, and easier to stay in.
The City of Asheville is planning to update the Unified Development Ordinance, with a process anticipated to begin this year. How important is this issue? And how will you, as a member of Council, support the success of this project?
This is one of the most important decisions Council will make because the Unified Development Ordinance is the rulebook for housing supply, small business growth, and how development impacts traffic, stormwater, and neighborhood stability. If the rules are slow, unclear, or overly discretionary, costs rise, projects stall, and we get less housing and more conflict. If the rules are predictable and standards based, we can add housing options, support reinvestment, and protect neighborhoods with clear expectations. As a Council member, I will support a disciplined process with a clear scope, a real timeline, and public engagement that includes renters, working families, and small business owners, not just the loudest voices. I will push for objective rules that allow by right approval when standards are met, expand missing middle housing and ADUs with strong design standards, update parking rules where they no longer match reality, and create clearer ownership pathways. I will also tie UDO changes to an infrastructure plan and require transparent performance metrics for permitting and inspections so the city can deliver on the new rules.
It’s been 16 months since Hurricane Helene devastated our region. What are the most important issues/priorities for Asheville when it comes to recovery? How do you plan to address those issues/priorities?
Recovery is still about stability, not ribbon cuttings. The top priorities are keeping people housed, restoring and hardening core infrastructure, and making the rebuild process work quickly and fairly. On housing, the city has to prevent storm recovery from turning into displacement. I will prioritize using every eligible recovery dollar to close gaps that insurance and FEMA did not cover for owner occupied repairs, with clear criteria and a focus on seniors and working families. At the same time, we need a stronger pipeline of workforce and permanently affordable housing using public land and shared equity tools so families can stay in Asheville long after the recovery funding fades. On infrastructure, the focus should be water and stormwater reliability, road and slope stabilization, and projects that reduce damage in the next storm. I will push for neighborhood level milestones and public timelines so residents can track progress. On delivery, I will push for faster permitting and inspections with clear service targets, transparent reporting, and surge capacity where justified, so rebuilding does not take a year longer than it should.
While there are always competing priorities, the safety of our community is always top-of-mind. How will you prioritize investments in and policies that promote and enhance public safety?
Public safety in Asheville has to be judged by response times, staffing stability, and whether people feel safe in neighborhoods and commercial corridors. I will prioritize investments that keep the basics strong: fully staffed first response, modern emergency communications, training and equipment, and clear performance expectations so residents can see results. I will also invest in prevention that reduces calls for service, safer street design, lighting, and traffic safety improvements. And I will push a coordinated crisis response so behavioral health and homelessness related calls are met with the right team, not just the default of law enforcement, with measurable outcomes. Finally, I will demand transparency and accountability in Asheville Police Department and strong coordination with Asheville Fire Department and Buncombe County so public safety is consistent, efficient, and trusted.
What is your vision for Asheville in the next 5-10 years?
My vision for Asheville is a city that works again. In the next five to ten years, we should have reliable infrastructure, a fast and predictable permitting system, and a real housing pipeline that delivers workforce and permanently affordable homes so families can stay. We should be storm resilient, with hardened water and stormwater systems and clear recovery timelines. We should grow the economy by making it easier for small businesses to open and hire, and we should strengthen public safety with strong response and a coordinated behavioral health approach.
If elected, how would you engage with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce?
If elected, I will treat the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce as a practical partner in execution, not just a stakeholder to check the box. I will meet regularly with Chamber leadership and member businesses to track what is working and what is not, especially permitting, inspections, infrastructure reliability, and public safety conditions that affect foot traffic and staffing. I will work with the Chamber to build and strengthen programs that help local businesses start, reopen, and grow, including clearer navigation of city processes, faster problem solving when projects get stuck, and stronger connections to workforce pipelines. I will also push for transparent performance metrics so we can measure improvements, not just talk about them.
Is there anything else that you’d like to share with our members that would help them to evaluate you as a candidate?
I want your members to evaluate me on execution. In five years on Council, I led implemented policies that affected real costs and real operations, including living wage increases for city workers, Ban the Box hiring reform, major infrastructure investments, contracting reforms that opened access for minority and women owned firms, and Asheville’s reparations framework. I focus on measurable outcomes, predictable rules, and competent delivery, because that is what helps businesses plan, hire, and invest. I also worked with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and partners to advance inclusive hiring. I support employer partnerships that widen the talent pool and reduce barriers for qualified people who have been shut out of work, including people returning from prior justice involvement. That strengthens families, improves stability, and helps employers fill jobs with dependable workers. If you want a Council member who will show up prepared, make decisions based on clear standards, and stay on the details until the job is finished, that is what I bring.