The potential closure and sale of the APS campus had drawn intense community pushback since being initially recommended as a cost-saving measure by Superintendent Gene Freeman on Dec. 7.
Tag: Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
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Letter: Insist that local government takes the long view
“Buncombe County as a whole is actively ‘paving paradise to put up a parking lot.'”
Letter: Demonstrate for peace, justice and a green transition
“You can call on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners to rescind the $27 million incentive agreement with Pratt & Whitney, and invest in such things as affordable housing, small businesses and schools, along with commitment to transparency on such major decisions.”
Asheville schools resist transparency in budget talks
Specifics on how the Asheville City Schools system spends its local allocation (at over $5,800 per student, the second-highest in North Carolina) and its plans to reduce costs have been hard to come by — and may have been concealed in violation of state open meetings law during a May 18 special closed session of the Asheville City Board of Education.
Libraries proposal would transform Buncombe system
Projected capital investment costs for implementing the library plan total at least $81 million over the next 15 years, including nearly $18 million for a new 25,000-square-foot facility in Enka/Candler and over $16 million for a new building of the same size in West Asheville.
Buncombe commissioners must rein in the TDA
“Other cities have used their occupancy taxes to direct millions to infrastructure and social programs while still supporting vibrant tourism industries. Why can’t we?”
Letter: Pratt & Whitney plant is no great deal for community
“The game is rigged to exploit us, and the promise of jobs for a few is the currency to get communities to comply.”
Letter: Nondiscrimination ordinances are important step
“I’m grateful that local leaders have worked to make the feelings of inclusion I’ve experienced now a legally prescribed reality for all LGBTQ+ people.”
Buncombe plans $5M training partnership with Pratt & Whitney
The 20,000-square-foot facility, to be operated by A-B Tech, would “provide a pipeline of skilled workers prior to the plant opening, helping to recruit qualified candidates and pre-train and post-train employees.” The funding would come from future county bonds that would be repaid through local sales tax revenues.
County commissioners, city schools clash over fiscal management
“The last three superintendents we’ve had here, including you, have not brought anything but mayhem to the school system,” declared Buncombe Commissioner Al Whitesides to Asheville City Schools Superintendent Gene Freeman.
Buncombe floats higher property bills for 2021-22
For the median home in Buncombe County — worth $231,400 before revaluation and $291,000 now — the new rate would boost taxes by over 16%, from $1,224 to $1,423 per year. The percentage increase is greater than the roughly 14% rise commissioners approved in 2017.
Buncombe proposes Juneteenth as new county holiday
County leaders say establishing the holiday, which commemorates the 1865 announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation by Union soldiers to enslaved people in Texas, is supported by the county’s Equity and Inclusion Workgroup and would “represent an authentic and more inclusive history of freedom in America.”
Frost sentenced to six months in prison for Buncombe fraud
In July 2019, former Buncombe County Commissioner Ellen Frost was charged with 11 federal crimes related to her misappropriation of roughly $575,000 in county funds in 2015 and 2016. Without obtaining board approval, Frost partnered with former County Manager Wanda Greene to spend taxpayer money on sponsorships of three equestrian enterprises in the name of the Asheville Regional Airport.
Council talks budget, eyes property tax increase
Some additional revenue will be needed to fund a growing list of priorities for the 2021-22 annual operating budget, city staffers suggested at an April 27 Asheville City Council budget work session.
Letter: Commissioners’ delay offers jarring juxtaposition
“My point here is the great divide between how the commissioners rolled out the welcome mat for PW, with virtually no regard for the opposition, yet postponed the protection ordinance vote that has far less opposition.”
Letter: Fourth Estate steps up for open meetings
“If our elected representatives find it too time-consuming or inconvenient to listen to their citizenry, they should resign — or not have run for public responsibility initially.”
Asheville City Council to consider nondiscrimination ordinance
The city’s proposed nondiscrimination ordinance is nearly identical to that passed 6-0 by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on April 20, which prompted extensive public comment from residents in both support and disagreement.
Wellness in brief: Brown honored as champion for kids, foundation launches online portal
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Dogwood Health Trust opened on online grant application portal. Read about these items and more in this week’s wellness roundup.
Buncombe County to consider partnership that addresses achievement gap
Made up of 18 community partners, the network would be convened and coordinated by the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
Nondiscrimination ordinance rubs some residents the wrong way
A second reading of the amended ordinance could come before the commissioners for a vote at the board’s Tuesday, April 20, meeting.
Next month to see return of in-person comments at commission meetings
The new plan will include a hybrid model that will allow residents to either call in or attend commission meetings in person. In June, the public comment policy will shift entirely to in-person, eliminating the option for the public to call in to the meetings.