About Us

The people who oppose your ideas are inevitably those who
represent the established order that your ideas will upset.
— Anthony D'Angelo

Citizens For Change was reorganized in 2000. Before that, we were known as Citizens For Property Rights and our sole purpose was to fight Zoning. Thanks to one of our members, Don Yelton, we were able to have a referendum that allowed us to defeat the zoning issue. Our group disbanded, but as the months went by, people kept calling with issues they felt needed attention and asking to get our group together again. We did but decided the name Citizens For Change was better suited to our agenda.

One of the first issues we took up was stream buffers. The Department of Water Quality (DWQ) wanted to put 50 ft. buffers on all streams, bodies of water and ditches that only ran water when it rained. We attended meetings, held rallies and protest marches and were able to hold buffers off for awhile. Now it appears that the city of Asheville plans to implement 50 ft. buffers on all property owners. It will just be a matter of time until it is tried in the county and all of WNC. Our job is just beginning in earnest.

We are also firm believers that if Non-Profits receive taxpayer dollars they should be required to open their books. We had our own TV program for 33 months and brought important issues such as these to our viewers.

Our most important issue at this time is to change the way our county Commissioners are elected. We would like to see them elected by school district boundaries, of which there are seven, in Buncombe County. That would mean an increase in the number of commissioners from five to seven. It would require a commissioner to live in the district he/she represented. This would give us better representation for they would know what was going on in their district. For more than 30 years the majority of our Commissioners have lived in the city of Asheville or a municipality and haven’t a clue as to our needs.

Another big factor in district representation is that it wouldn’t cost thousands and thousands of dollars to run for office. A candidate would only need to campaign in the district they lived in. No TV or radio and newspaper ads and they could meet the people in church, grocery stores, the local eatery or any place where people congregated.

It has been estimated that to run for commissioner in 2008 it will cost anywhere from $20,000 to more than $40,000 to get elected. We have a petition on this website that you can download, print, and get your family and friends to sign.

We need for you to attend our monthly meetings at Shoney's/Enka and the Community Meetings we will be holding all over the county. Check this site for locations, dates and times. We need your help.

Founder, Peggy T. Bennett

Citizens For Change

“Change is essential for improvement”

We are a citizen-driven, grass roots, community-based, self- managed, non-partisan, property rights organization.

OUR MOTTO

“Any question deserves an honest answer.”

MISSION

Encourage and promote Buncombe County Government to fully represent the people under the constitutions of North Carolina and the United States.

VISION

Major decisions made by governmental officials in Buncombe County will reflect the priority needs, wants, wishes and concerns of the citizens.

VALUES

Core beliefs about right and wrong

“Do what is right.”