Buncombe Commissioners preview: Economic incentives, property revaluation and more

At its first meeting of the year, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to consider economic development incentives, an update on the property revaluation process and several board appointments.

Reich, LLC, a German metal working company, is requesting $350,000 in county economic incentive grants to help fund expansions at its local facility in the Vista Industrial Park in Avery’s Creek. In exchange, the company has agreed to invest $22 million in new machinery and equipment at its local plant and hire at least 35 new employees there.

Buncombe County Tax Director Gary Roberts is also scheduled to give the commissioners an update on the property reappraisal process. By the end of the month, every Buncombe County property owner should receive a notice in the mail from the Tax Office indicating the new value of their property for tax purposes.

In addition, the board will consider a number of board appointments, including positions with the Land of Sky Regional Council, Economic Development Coalition, the Health and Human Services Board and more.

As of this writing, the board will still be missing a commissioner when it meets Jan. 15, pending a court decision on challenges filed by Republican candidate Christina Kelley G. Merrill over the District 2 election results. A hand recount of all the District two ballots showed Democrat Ellen Frost with an 18 vote edge over Merrill but the Board of Elections hasn’t certified her the winner. The seven member board currently has six members that’ve been sworn in: three Democrats and three Republicans.

Board chair David Gantt and other commissioners have said they want to delay as many actions as possible until after the election despute is settled and all board members are seated.

The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 200 College Street, suite 326. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.

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 Jake Frankel
Jake Frankel is an award-winning journalist who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, from politics and government to business, education and entertainment.

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.

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.