Buncombe County

Terri received her bachelor's degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master's degree in education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is married to Glenn.

Terri is a former public educator. She has a background in farming and has worked on county farmland and open-land conservation projects. 

Terri Wells is a currently a Buncombe County Commissioner who has served at least one term in office.

Candidate website

Supports tripling conservation investments and leading a $30M Open Space bond for conservation and nature recreation.

Supports investing public funds in conservation, greenways, and housing for working families, seniors, and essential workers.

Believes in proactive and sustainable growth by prioritizing conservation, creating wildlife corridors, and ensuring equitable recreational access. Plans to prioritize housing in developed areas with existing infrastructure and near key transportation corridors.

Believes in proactive and sustainable growth by prioritizing conservation, creating wildlife corridors, and ensuring equitable recreational access. 

Believes in the importance of community service and aims to inspire future leaders to improve and sustain Buncombe County. Cares deeply about the community's health and prosperity for future generations.

Believes in the importance of community service and aims to inspire future leaders to improve and sustain Buncombe County.

Believes in a thriving community where essential workers like teachers, firefighters, and grocery store employees can live locally. Supports diverse contributions to ensure environmental, economic, and social health in the community.

Believes in a thriving community where essential workers like teachers, firefighters, and grocery store employees can live locally. 

Supports enhancing community infrastructure, including water and broadband, and values conservation and community engagement through events like the opening of Pisgah View State Park.

Believes leaders should "listen more and talk less" to understand community issues. As a community leader, organized events to foster discussions and understand diverse opinions.

Believes leaders should "listen more and talk less" to understand community issues, including through hosting discussions. 

Plans to hold a town hall with county and town staff and elected leaders to clarify government roles and collaborate on community issues.

Believes transparency and oversight are crucial for community trust in public services. As a Commissioner, established a General Obligation Bonds Community Oversight Committee and ensured annual independent audits and a transparency webpage for bond investments.

Established a General Obligation Bonds Community Oversight Committee and ensured annual independent audits and a transparency webpage for bond investments as Commissioner.

Supports distributing food and essential services during COVID.

Supported distributing food and essential services during COVID.

- Supports tripling conservation investments and leading a $30M Open Space bond for conservation and nature recreation.
- Supports investing public funds in conservation, greenways, and housing for working families, seniors, and essential workers.
- Believes in proactive and sustainable growth by prioritizing conservation, creating wildlife corridors, and ensuring equitable recreational access. 
- Believes in the importance of community service and aims to inspire future leaders to improve and sustain Buncombe County.
- Believes in a thriving community where essential workers like teachers, firefighters, and grocery store employees can live locally. 
- Supports enhancing community infrastructure, including water and broadband, and values conservation and community engagement through events like the opening of Pisgah View State Park.
- Believes leaders should "listen more and talk less" to understand community issues, including through hosting discussions. 
- Plans to hold a town hall with county and town staff and elected leaders to clarify government roles and collaborate on community issues.
- Established a General Obligation Bonds Community Oversight Committee and ensured annual independent audits and a transparency webpage for bond investments as Commissioner.
- Supported distributing food and essential services during COVID.

Public Services

Supports expanding broadband access and career tech education to boost small business development and job opportunities.

Believes excessive spending on pensions, benefits, and payroll indicates inefficiency. Supports the idea of "doing more with less" to improve fiscal responsibility.

Believes excessive spending on pensions, benefits, and payroll indicates inefficiency. 

Believes an inclusive and proactive approach is essential for sustaining and growing a diverse business environment, including small businesses, family-owned ventures, and larger corporations.

Supports "supporting and growing our Leicester Farmers Market."

Supports active involvement in supporting local businesses.

Supports helping small businesses thrive by addressing labor issues, trade, taxes, and regulation.

- Supports expanding broadband access and career tech education to boost small business development and job opportunities.
- Believes excessive spending on pensions, benefits, and payroll indicates inefficiency. 
- Believes an inclusive and proactive approach is essential for sustaining and growing a diverse business environment, including small businesses, family-owned ventures, and larger corporations.
- Supports "supporting and growing our Leicester Farmers Market."
- Supports active involvement in supporting local businesses.
- Supports helping small businesses thrive by addressing labor issues, trade, taxes, and regulation.

Economy

Believes in thoroughly assessing the impacts of operating two school districts and listening to parents and staff to make well-informed decisions. Supports a strong public school system as "the backbone of our community."

Believes in thoroughly assessing the impacts of operating two school districts and listening to parents and staff to make well-informed decisions. 

Believes in fighting to make schools the best they can be. Supports improving K-12 school policies.

Believes in increasing public school funding and expanding educational resources. As a Commissioner, increased public school funding and expanded rural broadband access.

As a county commissioner, increased public school funding and expanded rural broadband access.

- Believes in thoroughly assessing the impacts of operating two school districts and listening to parents and staff to make well-informed decisions. 
- Supports improving K-12 school policies.
- As a county commissioner, increased public school funding and expanded rural broadband access.

Education

As of June 14, 2024, Terri Wells’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Safety

Believes maintaining existing affordable homes is crucial alongside new construction. Supports using bond funds to rehabilitate homes, ensuring stability for seniors and working families.

Supports using bond funds to rehabilitate homes, ensuring stability for seniors and working families and to maintain affordable housing opportunities.

Believes affordable housing and conservation are crucial, as evidenced by supporting a $40 million bond for housing and a $30 million bond for conservation. Plans to establish a five-person oversight committee to manage the funds over 20 years.

Believes affordable housing and conservation are crucial, as evidenced by supporting a $40 million bond for housing and a $30 million bond for conservation with a five-person oversight committee to manage the funds over 20 years.

Supports conserving rural land to balance urban development and preserve farmland in Buncombe County.

Believes better housing management is needed locally. Plans to research more before voting on the bond referendum, with spending being a "deal-breaker" for her.

Plans to research more before voting on the bond referendum, with spending being a "deal-breaker" for her.

Believes there is an ongoing “conversation” about the intersection of affordable housing, short-term rentals, and demographic shifts.

Believes understanding government functions helps people see how policies, like affordable housing investments, impact lives. Questions how Buncombe will ensure high-quality affordable housing.

Believes understanding government functions helps people see how policies, like affordable housing investments, impact lives. 

As County Commissioner, secured funding for land conservation and affordable housing. Supports strategies to protect farmland and open spaces.

As county commissioner, secured funding for land conservation and affordable housing.

- Supports using bond funds to rehabilitate homes, ensuring stability for seniors and working families and to maintain affordable housing opportunities.
- Believes affordable housing and conservation are crucial, as evidenced by supporting a $40 million bond for housing and a $30 million bond for conservation with a five-person oversight committee to manage the funds over 20 years.
- Supports conserving rural land to balance urban development and preserve farmland in Buncombe County.
- Plans to research more before voting on the bond referendum, with spending being a "deal-breaker" for her.
- Believes there is an ongoing “conversation” about the intersection of affordable housing, short-term rentals, and demographic shifts.
- Believes understanding government functions helps people see how policies, like affordable housing investments, impact lives. 
- As county commissioner, secured funding for land conservation and affordable housing.

Housing & Urban Development

Believes in "connecting our communities to high-speed broadband internet."

Supports "Pivotal Bond Measures" to improve transportation and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transit.

Believes in accessing funding for infrastructure repairs and upgrades.

Believes in collaborating with partners to plan for future infrastructure needs.

- Believes in "connecting our communities to high-speed broadband internet."
- Supports "Pivotal Bond Measures" to improve transportation and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transit.
- Believes in accessing funding for infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
- Believes in collaborating with partners to plan for future infrastructure needs.

Transportation & Infrastructure

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Terri Wells

Terri received her bachelor's degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master's degree in education from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is married to Glenn Ratcliff.

Terri Wells is a Buncombe County Commissioner who has served at least one term in office, representing District 1. She has worked with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners and was appointed  to the Connecting Counties task force and Agricultural Steering Committee.

As a Commissioner, increased public school funding and expanded rural broadband access.

- Believes in thoroughly assessing the impacts of operating two school districts and listening to parents and staff to make well-informed decisions. 
- As a Commissioner, increased public school funding and expanded rural broadband access.
- Supports improving K-12 school policies.

The candidate's website says, "What can local leaders do to promote thoughtful community dialogue about complex and difficult topics such as the opioid crisis, crime, housing and health care?"

The candidate's website says, "Like the 2043 Comprehensive Plan — an undertaking that will see both zoning laws and policy around land use and population growth updated by spring 2023 — the bond referendum looks Buncombe’s future squarely in the face, acknowledging it’s about to grow by roughly 80,000 people come 2045, according to some estimates."

Believes housing issues need urgent attention. Plans to address housing, homelessness, property taxes, permitting, zoning, and development.

The candidate's website says, "Wells, a Democrat whose term is up in 2024, has gone on a kind of listening tour for the past few weeks, visiting three communities and holding public events where she’s both presented on key topics at the fore of Buncombe’s future — budgeting, bonds, housing, the 2043 Comprehensive Plan — and heard community members about their biggest concerns."

As County Commissioner, secured funding for land conservation and affordable housing.

- Supports using bond funds to rehabilitate homes, ensuring stability for seniors and working families and to maintain affordable housing opportunities.
- Believes affordable housing and conservation are crucial, as evidenced by supporting a $40 million bond for housing and a $30 million bond for conservation with a five-person oversight committee to manage the funds over 20 years.
- As County Commissioner, secured funding for land conservation and affordable housing.
- Supports conserving rural land to balance urban development and preserve farmland in Buncombe County.
- Plans to research more before voting on the bond referendum, with spending being a "deal-breaker" for her.
- Believes there is an ongoing “conversation” about the intersection of affordable housing, short-term rentals, and demographic shifts.
- Believes understanding government functions helps people see how policies, like affordable housing investments, impact lives. 

Terri Wells is a 9th generation farmer from Sandy Mush, Western North Carolina, and a 1989 graduate of Clyde A. Erwin High School. She is married to Glenn Ratcliff, who teaches chemistry at A-B Tech, and together they have built their home and farm in Sandy Mush. There is no information provided about the church they attend or if they have children.

Terri Wells is a Buncombe County Commissioner and a former public educator. She has also worked on county farmland and open-land conservation projects. Additionally, she has a background in farming, being a 9th generation farmer from Western North Carolina.

Terri Wells is a Buncombe County Commissioner who has served at least one term in office. She has announced her intention to seek re-election in a different district in 2024. Specific details about any appointments or committees she serves on, or past election campaigns, are not provided in the background information.

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners can create, change, or abolish offices, positions, departments that are not required by law. 
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms, with no term limits. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.