Asheville City Council learned during an April 9 budget work session that a 4.11% pay raise for city employees next fiscal year would drive the city’s undesignated general fund balance below its preferred minimum.
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Asheville City Council learned during an April 9 budget work session that a 4.11% pay raise for city employees next fiscal year would drive the city’s undesignated general fund balance below its preferred minimum.
“Therefore, if city residents are not using or benefiting from the BCSO, then it would seem that city residents should pay a reduced tax rate to the county.”
“If you are weary of the high taxes, roads filled with potholes, cracked or absent sidewalks, having a skeleton police force and subpar schools, I hope you will be inspired to run for City Council.”
“I think one way to increase the number of folks who have bearproof garbage bins is for the city of Asheville to put this high on the priority list and fund it with tourist tax dollars.”
“Another suggestion is that we could charge property taxes that reflect the amount of time the property is inhabited. More tax for fewer days occupied.”
“Higher taxes spent on nonproductive programs continue to drive taxpaying residents out of the city.”
“In my view, the overly tolerant approach to vagrancy and lack of concern relative to soaring bond issues, financed by property taxes, in Asheville can be traced to poor leadership.”
“They waste money instead of building sidewalks on every state and city road.”
Readers had a lot to say in 2022 about a host of local issues — from our region’s growth and development to the environment, homelessness and more.
“The assessor is not equipped with adequate money or personnel to appraise each property so that the tax roll is perfect in Buncombe County.”
“In this economy, it takes a lot of nerve to even mention increasing taxes.”
“Our wealthiest households are not paying their fair share now, and these bonds will simply add to the inequity, asking disproportionately assessed lower-income households to continue to shoulder more than their fair share of the burden.”
The forum, hosted by the Council of Independent Business Owners, gave the candidates the opportunity to stake out their positions on a range of issues central to Buncombe County residents.
“If a new budget is not ‘revenue neutral’ by lowering the rate of taxation the appropriate amount, then you are slapped with a tax increase from your blind side.”
“In fact, in most cases, the assessor is conservative in his values. If he is wrong, that is what the appeals process is for, and it’s available to everybody.”
“This majority is struggling as much or more than Buncombe County employees, but instead of getting a raise, they get to collectively pay $5.1 million in taxes in addition to what they are already paying.”
“Paying taxes to the county for services which it does not provide city residents and paying twice for some of them is outrageous.”
“Many people are definitely homeless because they can’t afford sewer hookups, septic tanks, leach fields or the land to put them in, and I don’t think they deserve this environmental burden.”
A combination of increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and low staffing levels has led to emergency response times well above national standards, said Rafael Baptista, the county’s director of performance management, in an Oct. 19 briefing to the board.
“The overall tax rate did go down some, but due to my taxable value going up — my total taxes are up 13.76%, and I’m sure theirs also significantly went up.”
During a June 1 meeting, the county Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a memorandum of agreement regarding the settlement of its litigation against pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis.