A new political action committee wants to flip the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, which currently has a 4-3 Democratic majority, to Republican. Their motivation? Democrats controlled the board and, they claim, provided poor oversight during a period of alleged corruption.
Nonprofit Green Opportunities announces openings in its upcoming YouthBuild training program, while the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners seeks input into its selection of the next county manager. That news and more in local news in brief from our issue of Aug. 22.
“We need city and county managers who, together with our elected officials, can tackle key issues and help us navigate this new reality called the greater Asheville area.”
The resolution sets the stage for the county to reimburse itself through bonds should it initially finance planned construction projects with operating funds. According to Internal Revenue Service regulations, wrote Interim County Manager George Wood, a bond resolution must precede spending money on projects that might later be refinanced using bonds.
Members of Asheville City Council will hear an update on Tuesday, July 24, on efforts to boost transparency of policing data and will decide whether to approve an ambitious new plan for the city’s mass transit system.
“The reason for this extraordinary housing retention rate is Homeward Bound doesn’t just put people in homes and forget about them; we provide ongoing support called case management.”
“It’s time someone asked whether we get our money’s worth from these corporate handouts.”
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will vote Tuesday, June 19, on a resolution appointing a new interim county manager after last week’s sudden announcement that County Manager Mandy Stone would be departing. The board will also render a final decision about the county’s FY 2019 budget, which includes a bump in education spending.
As of June 11, Buncombe County has $458.5 million in debt. Over half of that debt balance ― $270 million ― has paid for facilities for A-B Tech and the county’s two public school systems, the Asheville City and Buncombe County schools.
Though breaking news about new Wanda Greene indictments made it hard for elected officials and members of the public to focus on anything else, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $685,000 in incentives for a planned local investment by GE Aviation and announced two new early childhood education initiatives during its meeting on June 5.
An indictment returned June 5 brings new charges against former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene and alleges that she used $2.3 million of county money to purchase life insurance policies in her name as well as the names of her son Michael Greene, who worked for the county, and eight other county employees.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will hold two public hearings at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 5.
During the Board of Commissioners meeting on May 15, commissioners took time to applaud Stone and county staff for the transparency of the budget process this year, noting that it was a significant improvement over the budget planning in prior years.
Local nonprofits compete for city and county grant funding every year. Xpress looks at the funding programs available and what nonprofits must do to be considered.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard requests by 12 fire departments on May 8 to increase fire tax rates in their districts. If all the requests are approved, the county will spend an additional $2.7 million on fire service in the upcoming fiscal year.
The primary election on May 8 produced a combination of expected and surprising victories. We talk to some of the local winners.
With the hard-fought primary now behind them, some Buncombe County candidates can breathe a sigh of relief, while for others the hard work is only beginning.
“As Buncombe County voters, we deserve a county commissioner who not only believes in transparency, financial oversight, restoring accountability and trust in our county government, but most importantly, someone who can actually do something about it.”
“Amanda has abundant experience and professional experience advocating for education. Amanda will be an informed leader in education who will direct the commission to offer meaningful support to our schools.”
As part of an ongoing push for transparency in the wake of allegations of fraud against former county manager Wanda Greene, the county Board of Commissioners will hear a presentation Tuesday about the state of the county’s FY 2017-18 finances.
“Amanda’s knack to listen and understand what is needed before quickly and effectively solving issues is what will make Amanda an excellent county commissioner.”
