ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) –
Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder presented a proposed county budget Tuesday that would include a 5 percent property tax increase to help make up for cooling sales tax revenues, persistent inflation and the area’s high cost of living.
At a County Commission meeting, Pinder cited financial challenges during the staff’s development of a proposed balanced budget, which also requires an appropriation of $11.7 million of unrestricted fund balance to cover rising expenses.
Including all annual funds, the spending plan for fiscal year 2025 would total about $628 million, with its largest component, the general fund, at $441.9 million.
BUDGET REALITY MAKES PROPERTY TAX HIKE LIKELY IN ASHEVILLE NEXT YEAR, MAYOR WARNS
The proposed budget, which will be considered at a public hearing next month, would include a 4.89 cost of living increase in pay for county employees, based on a two-year average of the Consumer Price Index, Pinder said.
The county’s proposed budget would include 30 additional positions in the general fund and three others financed by fees in the solid waste enterprise fund.
Increased expenditures are offset by a recommended $3.9 million operating reduction in county departments, compared to levels in the amended budget for fiscal year 2024. It also would achieve $10 million in savings using so-called “personnel strategies,” which generally involve the timing of filling vacancies.
Under the proposal, which still needs Buncombe County Commission approval, it would raise the property tax rate by 2.55 cents to 52.35 cents to generate $13.6 million.
According to a summary by county staff, “Of that increase, 1.8 cents is for County operations and .75 cents will fund an increase to the local current expense for public K-12 schools.” For a home assessed at $350,000, it would mean an additional $89.25 in annual property taxes, according to the summary.
“The FY25 budget contains many financial challenges,” said Pinder. “Hard decisions had to be made, and austere cuts were required. We believe this budget is as fiscally responsible as possible.”
A copy of the full budget presentation can be found HERE.
