County

County Commissioner, Buncombe County

District 02

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A county commissioner is one of the members of the board that adopts the county budget, sets the property tax rate and oversees county government.

Elected by the district's voters (State Board March 3, 2026 primary precinct results).

Candidates Compare by issue

Greg Parks

Republican

Manufacturing worker

The gist

Supports structural county budget cuts, including school consolidation
Proposes cutting regulations, fees and red tape in permitting
Opposes long-term limits on landowners' development rights
Proposes prioritizing school repairs and transportation over pay raises

More about Greg

View sources (1)

Supports structural county budget cuts, including school consolidation
Buncombe County candidates participate in Business on the Ballot series
News coverage · Mountain Xpress · Aug 18, 2026 · web.archive.org
“he would support structural cuts to the county budget, specifically pointing to the potential consolidation of school systems”
Proposes cutting regulations, fees and red tape in permitting
Buncombe County candidates participate in Business on the Ballot series
News coverage · Mountain Xpress · Aug 18, 2026 · web.archive.org
“Parks said he wants to reduce regulations, fees and red tape in the county permitting process.”
Opposes long-term limits on landowners' development rights
Buncombe County candidates participate in Business on the Ballot series
News coverage · Mountain Xpress · Aug 18, 2026 · web.archive.org
“He objected to conservation agreements that remove development rights for long periods and emphasized that landowners should retain the freedom to decide”
Proposes prioritizing school repairs and transportation over pay raises
Buncombe County candidates participate in Business on the Ballot series
News coverage · Mountain Xpress · Aug 18, 2026 · web.archive.org
“He added that the county should prioritize repairing school buildings and addressing its transportation needs.”

Lonnie Israel

Democratic

Retired garden center owner

The gist

Pledges community meetings on the county budget
Supports schools, public safety and human services as budget priorities
Proposes aligning zoning with the county's 2043 comprehensive plan
Opposes data centers whose costs outweigh community benefits

More about Lonnie

View sources (2)

Pledges community meetings on the county budget
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, District 2
Candidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“If elected, I will organize community meetings on the county’s budget to promote transparency.”
Supports schools, public safety and human services as budget priorities
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, District 2
Candidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“My top budget priorities are the public school system, public safety and human services.”
Proposes aligning zoning with the county's 2043 comprehensive plan
2026 Primary Voter Guide: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, District 2
Candidate questionnaire · Mountain Xpress · Feb 5, 2026 · web.archive.org
“If elected, I will review the zoning and development ordinances to bring them into alignment with the 2043 comprehensive plan goals.”
Opposes data centers whose costs outweigh community benefits
Data centers put AI divide into focus in Buncombe commissioner races
News coverage · Mountain Xpress · Sep 25, 2026 · web.archive.org
“If the benefits do not outweigh the costs to our community, we should be prepared to say no,”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 6 issues covered in this race.