A new strategic plan will guide Buncombe County’s government over the next five years. The county’s Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the guiding document on Tuesday.
As outlined by Rafael Baptista, Buncombe’s director of strategy and innovation, the county had hoped to adopt the plan last October, but Hurricane Helene disrupted that schedule. Instead, county staffers held additional rounds of public input and revised the document in light of the historic storm.
The final version includes goals for general county administration along with six community focus areas: growth and development, economic development, education, community health, energy and environment, and public safety. Each area includes specific, measurable targets to accomplish by the end of 2030, such as developing 400 homes for low-income households or diverting 900 tons of organic material from the landfill each year.
No residents commented on the plan prior to its approval. However, Commissioner Jennifer Horton expressed concerns that staff had disregarded the latest public input, collected in the fall. While dozens of residents had shared worries about homelessness, mental health, and elder care, she said, the final plan didn’t make any changes reflecting those comments.
“These issues are not peripheral. They are structural, and they deserve to be treated as such,” Horton read from a prepared statement. “Feedback can’t just be a checkbox. It must shape the work.”
Staff did not respond to Horton’s comments during the meeting. At a previous briefing on the plan, Buncombe management analyst Kathleen Blackney said the community’s concerns were either covered by existing plan goals or were outside the scope of the county’s operations.
The new plan takes effect at the start of 2026. Baptista said staff would provide regular updates on Buncombe’s progress through biannual presentations to the board and an online strategic plan dashboard.
Other tidbits
- Commissioners approved a pair of contracts related to county park improvements. A $3.85 million deal with Georgia-based AstroTurf will add artificial turf, lighting, and an accessible walking path to three fields at the Buncombe County Sports Park in Enka, with construction expected to finish in May. A $449,000 contract with Chicago-based Hoerr Schaudt will cover early-stage design work to rebuild Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa, which was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. The county hasn’t established a construction timeline.
- Two conservation easement projects, which will together protect 663 acres from development, received over $1.1 million in county support. A 600-acre easement in Swannanoa will cover agricultural land around Warren Wilson College, while a 63-acre easement in Haw Creek will preserve water quality and views from the adjoining Blue Ridge Parkway. The money comes primarily from the $30 million Open Space Bond approved by county voters in 2022. Roughly $5.5 million of that funding remains uncommitted.
- Buncombe leaders have reactivated the local “Feeding Collaborative” with area nonprofits, first developed during Hurricane Helene, to help residents experiencing disruption to benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the ongoing federal shutdown. Nathan Green, Buncombe’s emergency preparedness coordinator, encouraged those in need to visit the county’s Community Engagement website or contact the One Buncombe Call Center at 828-250-6100.
- During a presentation on the county’s fiscal health, Finance Director Melissa Moore noted that Buncombe’s available fund balance — essentially its financial reserves for unexpected expenses — had dipped to less than 15% of annual spending. She warned this could lead credit rating agencies to downgrade Buncombe’s financial profile, in turn driving higher interest rates for local government borrowing. The county has held a AAA credit rating, the highest possible, since 2012.
- Commissioners OKed a $130,000 appropriation to the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office from the Forfeitures Fund, which consists of money seized during criminal investigations. A staff memo noted that the money would be used for “items related to Property & Evidence” but did not provide specifics. BCSO spokesperson Matthew Marshall told BPR that the funding would cover software, shelving, and property storage totes.
Every first and third Tuesday, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners meets at 200 College St., Room 326, in downtown Asheville, beginning at 5 p.m. The next meeting will take place Tuesday, Nov. 18. See the full recording and agenda of the Nov. 4 meeting.
