Gastonia City Council Names New City Attorney
City of Asheville Senior Assistant Attorney to Replace Ash Smith
Gastonia, NC (March 20, 2025 City of Gastonia) โ The Gastonia City Council, at its meeting on Tuesday, March 18, appointed Eric Edgerton to replace L. Ashley โAshโ Smith, who retired on March 1st after 30 years of service to the City of Gastonia. Edgerton will officially begin his new role on Monday, April 21.
โI am extremely excited to be joining a municipality that not only has a rich and vibrant history, but one that is also experiencing significant growth,โ said Edgerton. โI am committed to doing all that I can to help Gastonia successfully navigate the development pressures it faces, while retaining the charm that makes it an All-American City.โ
Eric Edgerton is an accomplished municipal litigator, who has tried cases both against, and in defense of North Carolina municipalities. After graduating from The George Washington University School of Law, Edgerton joined the private firm of Roberts & Stevens, P.A. Most recently, Edgerton has served as a senior assistant attorney for the City of Asheville. In that capacity, he has personally argued and won major cases before the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
โEric understands how local government works from the inside out, and he has the legal expertise,โ said Gastonia Mayor Richard Franks. โI think Eric will bring a fresh perspective to the dais that will serve our community well.โ
Edgerton has deep ties to Western North Carolina (WNC), a region he first moved to in 1999. He has served both as an elected official in the state, and in leadership roles with numerous WNC nonprofits. When he is not spending time with his wife Lauren and daughter Maeve, he can most commonly be found hiking the trails of the North Carolina wilderness.
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Gastonia, N.C., just minutes west of Charlotte, is one of the areaโs best places to live and work with an ideal combination of location, size and livability. Gastonia is the largest of Gaston Countyโs 13 municipalities and one of the largest cities in the Charlotte metropolitan area. Selected as an All-America City three times, Gastoniaโs desirable quality of life is the result of its beautiful natural surroundings, friendly neighborhoods, responsive government and vibrant business environment.
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