Mark Barrett

mbarrett@citizen-times.com

RALEIGH - The state House voted down 58-48 Friday a bill that would have created district elections for Asheville City Council after Democrats and some Republicans raised questions about whether the bill complied with legislative rules.

Legislative rules say bills affecting fewer than 15 counties cannot be considered in "short" session like this year's unless all members representing an area agree to them.

Only bill sponsor Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, favors the bill among legislators representing Buncombe County. House members said on the floor Friday it is wrong for the General Assembly to pass the bill against the wishes of local legislators.

"If you (vote yes), you're compromising principle," Rep. John Blust, R-Guilford, told the House.

Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, said Apodaca had originally filed the bill with a certification that it was a local bill and noncontroversial. But then the legislature considered the bill under parliamentary rulings that it was an elections bill and thus not subject to the prohibition on controversial local bills this year.

The bill, she said, "is built on a foundation of deceit and dishonesty."

"Filing a local bill certification knowing the certification is false is unethical," Fisher said.

She said the General Assembly should not let Apodaca, who is serving his last term, dictate Asheville's form of government.

"I resent the idea that the current senior senator and Rules Committee Chairman feels he must take one parting shot at the city of Asheville when in fact he only represents a fraction of the residents," she said.

Some Republican critics of the bill said they think districts are a better way to choose governing bodies of larger cities, but could not stomach voting for the bill against the wishes of a city's legislators.

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