Buncombe County will pledge $4.2 million toward the redevelopment of Lee Walker Heights and consider trying to completely run on renewable energy by 2027.
Property tax rate up, nonprofit funding down as Buncombe commissioners close out budget
Taxes are going up as the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners signed off on a budget that includes a 2.6-cent property tax hike while lowering funding for some area nonprofits.
Is WNC fairly represented on state boards and commissions?
“We’re certainly not overrepresented,” says Republican Rep. Chuck McGrady, who’s in his fourth term representing Henderson County in Raleigh. In fact, depending on how you break down the numbers, you could say that Western North Carolina falls a little short of genuinely proportional representation on state boards and commissions, according to data obtained from the […]
Board of Adjustment approves vacation complex, 17-home subdivision
The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment approved all the projects on its agenda during its meeting on Wednesday, June 15. A proposed 221-unit apartment complex on Overlook Road was also officially postponed to next month’s meeting.
Asheville City Council to vote on budget
Asheville City Council will vote on the city’s 2017-18 budget for the fiscal year that will begin July 1. New pedestrian safety measures for Fairview Road, an affordable housing development on city-owned land and a strategy aimed at allowing Asheville residents to control the method used for electing representatives to City Council are also on the agenda for the Tuesday, June 13 meeting.
Frustration mounts over proposed South Asheville development, construction in general
A conditional use permit hearing for a South Asheville apartment development originally set for next week has been pushed until July at the request of the developer.
Planning time
Asheville, NC
Buncombe Commissioners appoint new county manager
Press release from Buncombe County Government: Asheville, NC At their June 9 special meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners named current Assistant County Manager/Health & Human Services Director Mandy Stone as the new County Manager to be effective July 1. Ms. Stone succeeds Wanda Greene who announced her intent to retire after 20 years […]
Sales tax, solar farm deal change course; development frustrations arise
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard development frustrations from Ridgecrest and South Asheville residents ahead of approving measures to shift a sales tax and backtrack on a deal with Duke Energy.
County manager, commissioner chair: revenue-neutral tax rate unlikely
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners did not take any official action on the proposed budget during its meeting on Tuesday, June 6. But discussions revealed that a revenue-neutral property tax rate is not likely to happen.
Solar farm redo, sales tax diversion and budget on deck for commissioners
Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget, consider diverting the A-B Tech sales tax fund and discuss backing out of a deal with Duke Energy to conduct a solar farm feasibility study.
County nonprofit funding at odds with resolution guidelines
As commissioners considering funding projects with community grants, Xpress looks at the performance contracts used to monitor the process and finds commissioners aren’t adhering to suggested guidelines.
County Manager Greene offers letter of resignation
Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene will retire from her position on July 1. She cites “times are changing and interests have shifted” as one reason why she is stepping down.
Despite progress, concerns about the I-26 Connector persist
When the DOT finally decided on a design for Section B of the Connector project in 2015, many stakeholders thought they saw light at the end of a very long tunnel. Other residents, however, see serious flaws in Alternative 4B, questioning whether the project’s long-term benefits will justify the sacrifices their neighborhoods must make to see it completed.
Activists speak out against proposed police department expansion
Activists dominated the May 23 public hearing on Asheville’s proposed 2017-18 fiscal year budget. The group $1 Million for the People opposes Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper’s request for $1 million in additional funding to hire 15 new officers for a new downtown policing unit.
Schools may be key to property tax relief
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners held a nearly five-hour budget workshop May 16, a forum dedicated to presentations and requests from county departments. However, talks also showed a possible path toward nudging closer to a revenue-neutral property tax rate. A taxing issue County Manager Wanda Greene’s proposed budget for next fiscal year is $419,289,728, […]
Commissioners debate Duke solar farm: ‘smug’ or smart
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners had a rare splitting of party lines as a partnership with Duke Energy caused a riff among Democrats.
Blunt talk: Medical marijuana takes root
Buncombe County commissioners identified combating opioid abuse and increasing teacher salary supplements as top priorities. But is legal marijuana a viable strategy for achieving those goals, or merely smoke and mirrors?
Mayor Manheimer, Asheville citizens call for fair redistricting
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer held a press conference Thursday, May 11, to highlight House Bill 200, which seeks to end gerrymandering on a statewide level. Asheville residents affiliated with Common Cause NC, a nonprofit organization based out of Raleigh, also spoke against gerrymandering within congressional districts and the need to support the proposed legislation.
Rowdy, marathon BOA meeting highlights development, traffic frustrations
The Board of Adjustment soldiered through a more than five hour meeting that had Buncombe County residents rallying against multiple development projects.
Lines in the sand: Fight brews over Asheville districts
Sen. Chuck Edwards of Hendersonville explains some of the considerations that led him to introduce a bill that would compel Asheville to institute district elections for seats on its City Council. And Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer lays out the reasons the city plans to follow a “parallel process” that may include a referendum on the issue, despite Raleigh’s insistence that the city knuckle under by Nov. 1.