“A County Where Everyone Belongs.”
Discover systems to share your work, habits to fuel inspiration, and ways to grow without losing the spark that makes you create in the first place.
A call to action…….
“Buncombe County is at a crossroads—our people are hurting, our workers are struggling, our neighbors are being priced out, and too many are left without a voice. We can’t wait for someone else to fix it. We need leadership rooted in justice, compassion, and courage—leadership that fights for housing people can afford, wages families can live on, restorative justice for our youth, support for our farmers and local businesses, and a culture that values the arts, education, and human dignity. This is our moment to act—not out of fear, but out of hope. Because when every neighbor can thrive, our whole county rises.”
Dr. Terrence Threadwell for Buncombe County Commissioner
“Because justice begins where we stand.”
A Vision for Buncombe County
Buncombe County stands at a moral crossroads. Behind the postcard beauty of our mountains lies a deeper truth — families priced out of their homes, workers struggling to make ends meet, rivers burdened by runoff and waste, and the quiet ache of people who feel unseen by the very systems meant to protect them. I am running for County Commissioner because I believe government is not merely an institution of power — it is an instrument of compassion, equity, and imagination.
We are called to reimagine what community can be: where housing is a right, not a privilege; where labor is honored, not exploited; where our environment is treated as sacred inheritance, not expendable resource. This campaign is not about left or right — it is about belonging and justice.
1. Housing as a Moral Imperative
A home is more than shelter; it is the foundation of human dignity.
I will fight for a County Housing Guarantee — an integrated approach that combines affordable housing development, tenant protections, and support for those on the edge of homelessness.
That means:
- Reclaiming and repurposing vacant properties for community housing.
- Partnering with nonprofits and faith organizations to expand transitional and supportive housing.
- Creating permanent affordability measures through land trusts and cooperative housing models.
Every family in Buncombe County should have a place at the table, a roof overhead, and a future to build upon.
2. Economic Justice and the Dignity of Work
The people who clean our hospitals, serve our food, teach our children, and repair our roads deserve more than survival wages — they deserve respect.
As Commissioner, I will champion:
- A Living Wage Certification for all county contractors.
- Expanded apprenticeship and job-training programs in green energy, trades, and health care.
- County procurement policies that prioritize local, worker-owned, and minority-owned businesses.
Our economy should serve humanity, not the other way around. True prosperity means shared prosperity.
3. Environmental Stewardship and Climate Resilience
These mountains have taught generations how to stand firm, bend with the wind, and heal.
I will ensure Buncombe County becomes a model for climate resilience through:
- Investing in green infrastructure — flood-resistant roads, energy-efficient public buildings, and solar micro-grids for critical facilities.
- Protecting our rivers, forests, and agricultural lands through conservation easements and regenerative-farming incentives.
- Establishing a “Just Transition Fund” to retrain workers as we move toward a renewable energy economy.
Creation is not a commodity. It is a covenant.
4. Health, Mental Health, and Healing the Social Fabric
Too many in our county live without access to affordable health or mental-health care.
I will advocate for:
- Expanding county partnerships with behavioral-health organizations and mobile crisis units.
- Supporting community-based recovery programs that treat addiction as illness, not crime.
- Integrating mental-health services with housing and employment initiatives — because stability begins with wholeness.
A compassionate community doesn’t turn away from pain; it leans in and helps carry the weight.
5. Transparency, Inclusion, and Participatory Democracy
Government works best when it listens.
I will open new channels for community voice — neighborhood assemblies, youth councils, and participatory budgeting — ensuring every voice has power in shaping policy.
Equity will be the measure of our governance: how we treat the poor, how we honor Indigenous and marginalized communities, how we include those long left out of decision-making.
Transparency is not a slogan; it’s a covenant of trust.
6. Arts, Education, and Cultural Renewal
The creative soul of Buncombe County — from its poets and painters to its artisans and musicians — must be nurtured as a public good.
I will push for an Arts & Innovation Fund to support cultural projects in schools, libraries, and public spaces, connecting art with education, history, and healing.
A thriving culture is not a luxury. It’s how we remember who we are and imagine who we might become.
7. Justice as Public Policy
Every policy decision is a moral one.
That means confronting racial inequity in policing, housing, and health outcomes. It means reforming county practices that perpetuate poverty or exclusion. It means ensuring that the justice system restores rather than destroys.
I will work with community leaders to develop restorative-justice initiatives that focus on rehabilitation, not retribution — especially for youth and nonviolent offenders.
Justice is not simply the absence of oppression; it is the presence of fairness, compassion, and opportunity.
8. The Rural Voice
Rural Buncombe is too often forgotten.
I will ensure equitable broadband expansion, rural transit connections, and agricultural support programs that sustain small farms and preserve the county’s heritage.
Economic growth should not mean urban sprawl; it should mean rural vitality.
A County that Works for All
My vision is simple: a Buncombe County rooted in justice, shaped by empathy, and alive with creative hope.
We will not settle for managing decline or maintaining inequality. We will rise together — workers and artists, farmers and teachers, elders and youth — to create a county where progress is measured not by profit, but by human flourishing.
Because the measure of our politics is the measure of our love — love for people, for place, and for the generations yet to come.
Dr. Terrence Threadwell
Candidate for Buncombe County Commissioner
“Justice is local. Hope is communal. The future is ours to build.”
Stay Informed
Contact us at threadwell4buncombe@gmail.com