The liberal-run city of Asheville, North Carolina, celebrated for its scenic location in the Blue Ridge Mountains and thriving tourism industry, finds itself grappling with escalating panhandling issues – a predicament that arguably could have been avoided with more proactive and pragmatic leadership.

Reportedly, the Asheville City Council Safety Committee, a subsidiary of the city council, is being pressed to act.

Faced with the rising tide of panhandling, it has been forced to reconsider the existing regulations and intensify their enforcement.

For this town of approximately 90,000, officials are now considering amending an ordinance to ban panhandling in outdoor dining areas, and possibly increasing the current six-foot distance restriction to 10 feet. A necessary course correction, critics argue, but one that may come a little too late.

In a recent meeting, Asheville City Councilwoman Maggie Ullman, chair of the subcommittee, admitted to WLOS, “We haven’t updated this ordinance in 20 years.”

“And we need as a community to discuss what we think about panhandling. You’re going to have people say, ‘Never do it, it’s bad for the panhandler, it’s giving handouts,’ and you’re going to have people who say, ‘They’re human, I have some spare change I want to give.’ On city council, we’re opening it up to have that conversation,” she added.

Asheville City Attorney, Brad Branham, while speaking to the council, explained that city law prohibits persistent harassing solicitation, while federal law protects solicitation from sidewalks.

“You can solicit, roadside solicitation, from the sidewalks, if you are not violating other laws,” Branham said, according to the local outlet.

“Sidewalks were made for pedestrians. And, due to First Amendment considerations, there’s a limitation — both in our case law and state statute — that says cities cannot prohibit someone from a roadside if they are on a sidewalk,” he continued.

Among the remedial measures proposed by Branham was the prohibition of drivers from giving money to panhandlers on traffic islands where they frequently gather.

Chris Gatchek, a local panhandler, told WLOS that he thinks the city’s belated initiative to manage panhandling is due to its detrimental effects on tourism, which has reportedly declined by 11% recently.

“They’re worried about their money coming in — that’s what they’re worried about,” he commented.

No comment was provided by the Asheville City Council when approached by Fox News Digital.

Meanwhile, Asheville, under its current leadership, is facing a dramatic rise in violent crime rates. APD statistics indicate a 21.8% increase in aggravated assaults and a 20% surge in armed robberies from 2021 to 2022.

To compound matters, Asheville Police Chief David Zack revealed to Fox News Digital last fall that their force had declined by over 40% since May 2020.

Critics say that this crisis highlights the need for more prudent leadership and assertive action from Asheville’s liberal administration.

After all, the wellbeing of their downtown district and the people they pledged to serve should have been the priority from the start.