News

Incumbent City Council members cruise

By Bill Moss, Published: November 6, 2024

Two incumbent Hendersonville City Council members coasted to re-election on Tuesday, easily vanquishing a challenge from DJ Harrington, a conservative Trump supporter who also ran for Hendersonville mayor in 2021.

Jennifer Hensley and Lyndsey Simpson have served five years instead of four because the N.C. Legislature changed city elections from odd- to even-numbered years. The new four-year term expires in December 2028. Early voting totals, which accounted for a 45 percent turnout, showed Hensley winning 40 percent of the vote followed by Simpson with 34 percent. Harrington won 24 percent of the vote.

Hensley, 45, and Simpson, 37, are both business owners, entrepreneurs and moms who have been active and engaged members of the council. From their comments, votes and priorities, it's generally impossible to tell that Hensley is a Republican and Simpson Democrat.

"When I first ran in 2019 for City Council, I never thought I would enjoy it so much," Simpson said during the campaign. "Being able to provide significant impacts to our residents’ lives is really an honor."

Hensley said: "I am running for re-election because I am passionate about the work that I have done and want to continue leading this city with the same grit and hard work that I have been for the last five years."

Both council members have been strong supporters of law enforcement and the fire service, higher pay in order to stay competitve with surrounding cities and counties and advocates for a city role in affordable housing.

Harrington ran a largely silent campaign; he was one of two out of 23 candidates for local office who snubbed the Lightning's invitation to response to a survey about his views.

and her husband, Kevin, have two children, Shelby and Enzo.

 is the owner of LS Creative, a graphic design studio, and Hendersonville Toy Company. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Flagler College in 2009. She and her husband, Tony, have a son, Cole, 12. In her free time, she enjoys doing puzzles and playing board games with family.

Why are you running for City Council?

Simpson:  Over the last five years, we’ve accomplished quite a bit as a council, but there is still a lot of work to do and more things I’d like to see done to ensure our city continues to be a wonderful place to live, work and play for every resident and visitor.

What are your highest priorities for the city of Hendersonville over the next four years?

Simpson: Over the next four years, I’d like to continue to improve employee benefits, so that the city can maintain our goal of service excellence. The services the city offers are not possible without our tremendous team. Secondly, I want to focus on parks to ensure that all residents have access to quality parks. Most importantly, I want to continue our work on our strategic housing plan to ensure all have a place to live in Hendersonville.

Hensley: My highest priorities are guiding Hendersonville in the rebuilding and reconstruction after Helene. So many businesses and people have been dramatically affected and I know I have the skillset and work ethic to help folks come back. I also will help to keep our city clean and safe, as well as coordinate and partner to help achieve more workforce housing to recruit and retain a healthy and active workforce.

The City Council has made a commitment to invest in affordable housing. What role if any can the city play in making more affordable homes available?

Hensley: We established a working committee to address this crisis and now more than ever with Helene, we need to partner and strategize to address this crisis. We have options such as a Land Trust, grant process, and partnerships with nonprofits to help fill the voids in our housing structure. 

Simpson: Earlier this year, I helped form the Strategic Housing Committee that is working with staff and residents on a Strategic Housing Plan. I’d love to see the city set up a community land trust, which would own the property for affordable homes to be constructed on. This would not only make it possible for one generation to access affordable homes, but it will ensure that those homes remain affordable for years to come. With that being said, we need others in our area to jump on board with us if we want to see a significant change throughout the county.

One approach to preventing suburban sprawl is to “go up and not out” and to approve higher density in-fill development. Where do you stand on mid-rise developments and in-fill development?

Simpson: I think most of us moved here because of the natural environment, and it is a huge part of our day to day lives and economy. That’s why we need to protect it, and the best way to ensure we do that is to focus on in-fill development throughout the city. We have many unused and under-utilized parcels of land that could help house many in our community that need it. The most important part of all of this will be to ensure that we have a balance between density, aesthetic and appropriateness. Design standards can ensure buildings don’t look out of place.

Hensley: I support in-fill development and looking into our Uniform Land Development Code to allow by right development and responsible density to reduce the cost for folks trying to live and work here. When our police, firefighters and service industry folks are having to move out of the county to find affordable housing — that is just not right. We have to support the folks that are supporting us.

What else would you like to add?

Hensley: The next two years are critical for us to make responsible decisions. Long-range planning and budgeting are looking very different in the aftermath of Helene. Homes and roads were wiped off the map. It is imperative that we have leaders, like myself, who is active and engaged with NCDOT, Duke Power and broadband to advocate for the city of Hendersonville and its residents.

Simpson: Over this first term on City Council, I have learned a lot and developed many critical relationships that help me accomplish what needs to be done for our city residents and visitors. We’ve accomplished quite a bit in the last few years, including navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and continuing to navigate the impacts of Hurricane Helene. But, my work is not done and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to serve our residents for four more years.

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