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Public commenters tell Buncombe commissioners ride-voucher network is failing; one resident alleges tense encounter with deputy
Summary
Two public commenters raised separate concerns: Gino urged the county to overhaul a troubled ride-voucher program for seniors and people with disabilities, and Kenneth Buckner alleged an intimidating encounter with Buncombe County deputy Christopher Morrow at a Swannanoa intersection; no official response to the alleged incident was recorded in the transcript.
Two members of the public used their permitted three minutes to press the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on separate local-service concerns.
Kenneth Buckner, the first speaker, recounted an encounter near the Swannanoa traffic light in which he said Buncombe County deputy Christopher Morrow approached and stared at him while he was seated on the tailgate of his truck. Buckner described stepping away and said, "I was attacked. I'll be back next month." The transcript records the allegation but does not record any immediate county response or investigation direction by the board.
A second commenter who identified himself as Gino asked the board to "intervene and fix" Buncombe County's ride-voucher program, which the county website says allows a maximum of three $10 vouchers per one-way trip and sells booklets of 10 vouchers. Gino told commissioners he called the five providers listed on the program website; two were no longer operating, one provider would accept only a single voucher for a one-way trip and had a $147 minimum fare, another said it requires riders to hand over the entire voucher booklet for a round trip, and the only provider following the stated rules operates a single van, creating a bottleneck. He said the program as structured sells "booklets of false promises" to people with limited income and suggested Land of Sky coordinate trips and reimburse providers directly so residents could call a single number to arrange rides.
Neither public commenter prompted recorded board action during the meeting. Chair Amanda Edwards thanked the speakers and noted procedures for leaving contact information with the county manager when a commenter's time expires.
