Weaverville will see a new mayor, the spot filled by current town council member Dee Lawrence, and both Weaverville and Woodfin councils will welcome a slate of mostly new members, according to unofficial election results.
Voting concluded Nov. 4 for Buncombe County’s only municipal elections, votes cast for the respective town councils, as well as the Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District.
The county reported high voter turnout, with more than 2,702 people casting ballots, a 43% increase from 1,891 voters in 2023.
Election Services Director Corinne Duncan said in a news release that though the elections are small compared to other county elections, it has seen continued growth in voter turnout.
Results are unofficial until certified on Nov. 14.
Lawrence was first elected to council in 2023. According to unofficial results, he secured the mayoral seat with 68% of the vote against opponent Andrew Nagle, a former town council member. Incumbent Mayor Patrick Fitzimmons did not seek reelection.
Lawrence, 73, and his wife moved to Western North Carolina after retirement, and have lived in Weaverville for 18 years.
He told the Citizen Times Nov. 5 he was “ecstatic” about the results.
“I think Weaverville is thriving,” he said. Not only is it a “really good place to be,” but looking at growth projections, a lot of other people think so, too.
A recent state report estimated Weaverville’s population has seen an 11.9% increase between April 2020 and July 2024, reaching 5,116 people.
Its Town Council adopted a three-year strategic plan in October, and Lawrence pointed to several of its policy goals as his priorities, including sustainable growth and development and emergency preparedness and community resilience, particularly in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.
“The growth is coming,” he said. “We have to figure out ways to make sure our infrastructure is strong enough to withstand growth and that we make good decisions along those lines of where we get to spend the taxpayer’s money. We have to be good stewards of that.”
Woodfin Town Council saw one incumbent reelected, Philip Cohen, the rest newcomers.
Cohen, 71, has served on council since 2024. He said he joined to be part of a “new era of governance” initiated by the mayor and council members that emphasized “transparency, accountability, communication with residents, and pro-active initiatives.”
He told the Citizen Times Nov. 5 that he is “elated” voters have asked him to continue working with staff and council to “improve Woodfin’s community, livability, and economy for all of our residents, both high and low and red and blue.”
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Unofficial election results:
For Woodfin and Weaverville town council, and water and sewer district, the top three vote getters clinch the seats.
Weaverville mayor
Weaverville Town Council (three seats)
Woodfin Town Council (three seats)
Woodfin Sanitary Water & Sewer District (Three seats)
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Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on X, formerly Twitter, at @slhonosky.
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