Board of Equalization and Review Chair Miriam McKinney wrote two letters to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners warning that all five volunteer members of her board would resign if Tax Assessor Keith Miller was fired.
Author: Greg Parlier
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Enrollment down, achievement up at Asheville City Schools
Asheville City Schools Superintendent Maggie Fehrman reported that the well-documented achievement gap between Black and white students closed slightly last year, while overall achievement for ACS students increased by 2.5% in 2023-24.
Speaker encourages creative thinking at BCTDA annual meeting
“The more we can share those experiences in a way that people believe, the more we can overcome that believability crisis,” speaker Rohit Bhargava told about 300 hospitality professionals at the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s annual meeting.
Buncombe library board rejects three book ban requests
According to one community member, the Bible should provide enough information for Buncombe County readers interested in learning about sex. The Buncombe County Library Advisory Board thought otherwise.
Ballot reprint to remove RFK Jr. delays mail-in voting
The state Supreme Court ordered the N.C Board of Elections to remove RFK Jr.’s name from the ballot Sept. 9, forcing all 100 counties to reprint millions of absentee ballots that were printed and ready to be mailed starting Sept. 6.
Candidates for Buncombe school board weigh in on local issues
In was a chaotic year for Western North Carolina’s largest school district in 2023-24. This November, ten candidates are vying for four seats to lead Buncombe County Schools into a future full of question marks for public education in North Carolina.
BCS grapples with fallout from federal litigation around sex discrimination regulations
At its meeting Sept. 5, the Buncombe County Board of Education unanimously (7-0) passed interim policies that broaden the school district’s interpretation of what constitutes a complaint as defined by Title IX, a federal law passed in 1972 that bars sex discrimination in education.
A behind-the-scenes look at Xpress’ weekly distribution
“[Distributing papers] is like putting gumballs in a jar,” Cindy Kunst explains. “Everyone has a different jar. My job is to spread the gumballs out over all the jars.”
County to consider support for expanded broadband
Buncombe County was awarded the BellSouth Telecommunications Project in July, which could expand broadband access to nearly 1,000 new locations in rural parts of Buncombe County if approved by commissioners Tuesday, Sept. 3.
County, school boards discuss priorities in unusual joint meeting
On Aug. 22, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners called a first-of-its-kind joint meeting within the Asheville City and Buncombe County boards of education to identify the three elected bodies’ shared purpose.
Q&A: Chair says reparations demonstrate love for Asheville
The fourth generation Ashevillian’s deep appreciation for her roots is what propels her to give the next generation of Black residents — including her three children — something to honor.
County appoints 11 to short-term rental committee
Diverse panel named to help draft regulations regarding short-term rentals after initial attempts met headwinds.
County to appoint members to short-term rental committee
The committee will help sculpt countywide regulations of STRs, which were put on hold by the Buncombe County Planning Board in April.
ACS closes budget gap ahead of new school year
Asheville City Schools (ACS) Superintendent Maggie Fehrman said the district was able to close its $5.7 million budget deficit just in time for the new school year, largely through cuts in central office and by consolidating the district’s two middle schools.
County greenlights proposed redesign of West Asheville school
A new EMS base and library could be coming to the corner of Haywood Road and Interstate 240 in West Asheville if the county can figure out how to pay for its plans on land owned by Asheville City Schools.
Montford North Star Academy merges with Asheville Middle School
After the Asheville City Board of Education decided to consolidate the district’s two middle schools for the 2024-25 school year, the families of Montford North Star Academy students were left with a choice: Send their children to Asheville Middle School or leave the district.
Why downtown Asheville is dominated by half-empty parking lots
According to Rob Robinson, 57% of buildable surface area in the Central Business District, not including parks or streets, is surface-level parking lots. That doesn’t include parking garages or on-street parking.
County to consider Asheville Primary School site plans
The former Asheville Primary School site may move one step closer to serving the community in a new way if the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approves plans at its meeting Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Despite public outcry, FBO at Hominy Creek to close Oct. 15
The outdoor bar and event space, which has been located at the intersection of Hominy Creek and the French Broad River in West Asheville since 2016, is located on county-owned land and is being forced to move because of a stipulation in a land conservation easement agreement between the county and RiverLink.
Consultant finds no evidence of bias in the Tax Assessor’s Office
The report, authored by Kevin Keene of Keene Mass Appraisal Consulting, concluded that there was “no evidence of systemic racial or income bias,” “no evidence of overt political interference” and “no evidence of bias in the attitudes of the workforce.”
Reparations commission to ask for six-month extension
City staff, however, plans to recommend the commission get only another three months to complete its task of finalizing recommendations for how the city and county can repair harm caused by generations of systemic racism and produce a final report. The discrepancy rankled commission members.
