County approves GE incentives, launches new early childhood ed initiatives

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: YWCA Chief Program Officer Sala Menaya-Merrit speaks during the Board of Commissioners meeting on June 5. Commissioners announced two new early childhood education initiatives during the meeting. Photo by David Floyd

News of additional fraud and embezzlement charges against former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene broke during the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meeting on June 5, stealing the thunder from several decisions made during the session.

GE Aviation won $685,000 in economic development incentives from the county. The funding is contingent on the company’s fulfilling its pledge, first announced on March 1, to invest $104 million in its local operations and create 131 jobs.

Commissioners approved the incentives, which are part of a joint economic development effort with the city of Asheville and the state, on a 6-1 vote, with Ellen Frost opposed.

The proposed timeframe for GE Aviation’s $105 million investment in its Asheville operations and its creation of 131 jobs. Image courtesy of Buncombe County
The proposed timeframe for GE Aviation’s $105 million investment in its Asheville operations and its creation of 131 jobs. Image courtesy of Buncombe County

“The reason they’re continuing to invest in a site like ours is that we have a community that continues to support this economic growth, supports manufacturing, and we have the support of local government officials that are behind what our business is trying to do,” Plant Manager Michael Meguiar told commissioners.

The 131 additional jobs will add to the company’s current tally of 424 workers. The new positions will pay an average wage of $49,000 per year, with 26 of the jobs paying an average annual salary of $92,000 and 105 jobs paying $38,356, excluding benefits.

The estimated impact on labor income of GE Aviation’s investment in its Asheville operations. Image courtesy of Buncombe County
The estimated impact on labor income of GE Aviation’s investment in its Asheville operations. Image courtesy of Buncombe County

County officials predict the investment will generate $2.8 million in property tax revenue over 10 years. An analysis by the Asheville-Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition indicates the investment’s ripple effects will indirectly support 82 jobs with GE’s local suppliers, as well as 68 jobs created by increased local household spending associated with the plant’s expansion.

Early childhood education initiatives

As part of its push to improve outcomes for kids by focusing on their first 2,000 days of life, Buncombe County will invest in two new early childhood education initiatives.

With the help of funding from the county, the YWCA will increase the number of kids it serves through its early learning program from 80 to 122. The money will also support a new infant classroom and two pre-K classrooms. High-need families will receive priority for the spaces. The county is providing $115,000 in FY 2018 for this project and $79,000 in FY 2019.

Buncombe County also awarded $121,000 to Warren Wilson College to spearhead a collaborative effort to expand the number of students pursuing a career in early childhood education. Partners in the project include the Verner Center for Early Learning, A-B Tech, Buncombe County Schools and others.

According to a press release from Warren Wilson College, only 26 percent of Buncombe kids receive early childhood education because of a shortage of early childhood centers and educators in the county.

“The reality right now is that too many kids in Buncombe County are struggling,” Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara said. “One quarter of the kids in our community live in poverty and others struggle due to factors like a lack of access to healthy food or a lack of stable housing.”

Beach-Ferrara said the board believes expanding access to early childhood education can help mitigate some of these problems.

“It works in the short-term to help kids succeed in school and it sets in motion a lifetime of benefits from improved health to increased access to post-secondary education to increased earnings,” she said.

In other business

Commissioners conducted a public hearing on the fiscal year 2019 budget. The board will cast an official vote on the budget during its meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, in the third-floor conference room at 200 College St. in downtown Asheville.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About David Floyd
David Floyd was a reporter for the Mountain Xpress. He previously worked as a general-assignment reporter for the Johnson City Press.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “County approves GE incentives, launches new early childhood ed initiatives

  1. Roarer

    “GE Aviation won $685,000 in economic development incentives from the county,” this article states, yet the county is providing $115,000 for the YMCA to better serve our community’s child care crisis, according to this same article. I am glad the YMCA is being heard about the need for more resources but it seems like the county could afford to spend more when it comes to children.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.