The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is approaching the homestretch for finalizing a budget for Fiscal Year 2017. During its meeting on Tuesday, May 31, the board heard concerns about attracting and retaining teachers amid budget requests from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools.
Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene is recommending a total budget of just over $407 million that would hold the property tax rate at 60.4 cents per $100 of valued property. However, property revaluations will take place this year with new values expected to sent out mid-January 2017.
On Monday, May 16, Commissioner DeBruhl sent an email stating she would be vacating her seat on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and also dropping out of her race for Chair.
During a brief meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to sell a piece of property at 32 Compton Drive, off New Leicester Highway, in West Asheville. The county will begin accepting bids effective immediately and will not sell it for less than $915,001.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will likely make short work of its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, May 3. The bulk of the heavy lifting is announcing four proclamations. There are no public hearings or new business agenda items.
“I support her efforts to end this reverse Robin Hood policy of stealing from the poor and giving to the rich corporations.”
Candidates looking for work with Buncombe County will have one less question to answer on their application. During its Tuesday, April 19 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution, effective immediately, to remove a question about past criminal offenses on the county’s preliminary employment applications.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has a decidedly lighter agenda for its upcoming meeting compared to this month’s previous seven-hour slugfest. There are no public hearings scheduled and the four new business items don’t appear to be inherently contentious in nature when commissioners tackle the agenda on Tuesday, April 19. Among those issues are amending the budget to pay for June’s Congressional primary and consideration of removing the question regarding an candidate’s criminal past on the county’s hiring application.
Addressing North Carolina House Bill 2 and consideration of property tax revaluation are among topics the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will discuss during its meeting on Tuesday, April 5.
In the aftermath of Buncombe County’s two-year effort to convince Orgegon-based Deschutes Brewery to build its East Coast expansion here, some critics have questioned the strategies employed. Buncombe County Commission Chair David Gantt released today (March 30) a timeline of events and supplemental documents correlated to Deschutes’ decision.
Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene presented an updated budget proposal to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, March 22. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-17 is still in the process of being crafted, but there is potential for expenditures to outpace revenues.
“With early voting now here in Asheville, I wish you would print your election endorsements issue a week earlier.”
“Jasmine is kind, compassionate and thoughtful. She values collaboration and works hard to engage all sides of a discussion to find common ground.”
“She truly wants all residents to have easy access to county services, a good education and good jobs.”
“I believe that anyone who works in Buncombe County, regardless of job title, should be able to afford to live here. That is why I will vote for Gordon Smith, whose vision for our county includes affordable housing and living wages. “
“She will push for affordable housing, strengthen funding for public schools and stand firm at each turn for full LGBT equality.”
“Vote for Gordon if you think a commissioner should believe transparency and fiscal responsibility are necessities, if you think that land conservation and farmland preservation are important, and if business tax incentives should be focused on local businesses, not just large corporations.”
“Jasmine’s visionary leadership and ability to organize and deliver social change is why she has my vote.”
“Gordon wants to preserve, diversify and grow opportunities for our small, local, family- and minority-owned businesses.”
“Jasmine has my support because she is dedicated to working at the intersections of justice needed within our community.”
With a mostly empty agenda, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners should be in for a short meeting on the evening of Tuesday, March 1.
