The Board of Commissioners cannot direct the sheriff, but it adopts his budget every June, certifies his contracts, and co-signs the federal forfeiture paperwork (What the Law Lets the County Do). The last commissioners to question the RTIC on the record, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Brownie Newman, left the board in 2024. The current seven have said nothing about it that this record can find.
The board
| District | Since | On the camera question | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amanda Edwards, chair | 1 | chair Dec 2024 | Signed the Nov 2025 joint “do not participate in ICE operations” statement; nothing on data |
| Martin Moore, vice chair | 2 | 2024 | Effectively the incoming District Attorney; no RTIC position |
| Al Whitesides | 1 | 2016 | On the board for the July 2022 $130,000 vote; no statement found |
| Jennifer Horton | 1 | Dec 2024 | Succeeded Beach-Ferrara; no statement found |
| Terri Wells | 2 | 2020 | On the board in 2022; on FY2027: “I support this budget in order to have a better future for all of Buncombe” (BPR) |
| Parker Sloan | 3 | 2020 | Progressive record on housing and environment; nothing on surveillance |
| Drew Ball | 3 | Dec 2024 | Running for Asheville City Council; no position |
Every budget that funds the network has passed unanimously, most recently the $484.4M FY2027 budget on June 2, 2026 (WLOS). The roll call on the July 2022 RTIC appropriation is not in any source found; the minutes would have it.
On the November 3, 2026 ballot
- District 1: Anna Stearns (D, Black Mountain attorney; platform lists housing, infrastructure, mental health, addiction services, nothing on public safety per her site) vs Rob Stetson (R)
- District 2 (open): Lonnie Israel (D; won the primary 57.7% over Terry Threadwell) vs Greg Parks (R)
- District 3: Al Whitesides (D), unopposed
No surveillance position has been found for any of the four contested-seat candidates (as of Aug 22, 2026). The question for each: would they separate surveillance technology into its own line in the sheriff’s budget and condition it on published audits? (Election 2026)
Staff who hold the paper
Avril Pinder (county manager) · Melissa Moore (finance director)
Region: Buncombe County · Last updated: Aug 22, 2026