The county built its network first, in 2022, and the city copied its rulebook. These are the people who decide what the county’s cameras do: the sheriff (on the ballot), the board that funds him (three seats on the ballot), the staff who sign the checks and the forfeiture paperwork, the school board, and the district attorney who prosecutes with it.
On the ballot November 3, 2026
| Role | Since | Surveillance record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Miller | Sheriff, seeking a 3rd term | 2018 | Built the Fusus network; his policies allow sharing for “intelligence operations” with no federal limit |
| Gary Parris | Republican nominee for sheriff | No position found | |
| Board of Commissioners | All seven, plus the November candidates | No member has questioned the RTIC on the record since 2022 | |
| Board of Education | Buncombe County Schools board, plus Asheville City Schools | Controls deputy access to ~1,500 school cameras; never voted on it in public; three seats on the ballot |
County government
| Role | Why they’re here | |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Edwards | Commission chair | Funds the sheriff’s network; signed the 2025 “do not participate in ICE operations” statement |
| Martin Moore | Commissioner; incoming District Attorney | No position on the system he will prosecute with |
| Avril Pinder | County manager | Presents a budget with no RTIC line; likely co-signs the forfeiture certification |
| Melissa Moore | Finance director | Preaudit certificates; the enterprise fund; the DOJ paperwork |
| Rob Jackson | BCS superintendent, retiring Sept 1, 2026 | Inherited the 2021 schools MOU; never revisited it publicly |
| Todd Williams | District Attorney, leaving Dec 31 | The support letter built on an assurance |
The county network itself: Buncombe County. The law that divides the sheriff from the board: What the Law Lets the County Do. The city’s deciders: Asheville.