Buncombe County’s Board of Commissioners will soon face a difficult quandary: Just how ambitious should county government be about its infrastructure spending in the years to come?
As presented by county finance staff during a January 22 work session, the answer to that question could lead Buncombe to deploy over three times as much money on capital projects from its general fund than it currently does — up to $66.1 million by fiscal year 2031-32, versus $18.3 million this fiscal year.
Supporting all of those projects, from repairs on county parking decks to the construction of new greenways, would require property taxes to rise by nearly 6 cents per $100 of assessed value. That works out to a nearly 11% increase over the current rate of 54.66 cents. The resulting bill for a home valued at $350,000 would be roughly $2,120, about $207 more than the current amount.
And no matter what Buncombe’s elected officials decide to do about future spending, a tax increase to cover capital work is all but inevitable for the new fiscal year starting in July. Previously approved capital projects and those likely to be approved this budget cycle will require nearly $12 million in new spending, equivalent to a property tax rate increase of over 2 cents.
“We are headed in an upward direction,” county budget analyst Matt Evans told commissioners Jan. 22. “We have a lot of capital that we need to pay for. And when we have deferred that capital, this is how it comes into fruition.”
Capital spending from Buncombe’s general fund, which is primarily supported by property taxes, is projected to exceed $30 million in fiscal 2026-27 after hovering around $20 million per year for the past decade. John Hudson, Buncombe County’s budget director, told BPR that several factors are coinciding to drive the substantially higher costs.
First, Buncombe is trying to address a maintenance backlog on its existing buildings, many of which were found to be in rough condition by a 2021 facility study. For example, Hudson said, the county courthouse is nearly a century old: Commissioners recently signed a $13.8 million contract to replace the building’s plumbing and a $1.1 million agreement for elevator repairs.
County government is also starting to borrow the $70 million that voters authorized for affordable housing and open space projects in 2022. “We’re going to front the money for design work, and then we’ll go out to debt once we’ve got shovels in the ground,” Hudson explained. “Sometimes a project may be approved for 3-5 years before we actually add it to our debt payments.”
Finally, there are new projects that recent events have shown to be critical county needs. In light of Hurricane Helene, County Manager Avril Pinder declared that establishing a dedicated emergency operations center is her “number one priority” in a September Citizen Times interview. Buncombe’s draft seven-year plan for capital spending allocates $3 million toward the project next year and $46 million in fiscal 2027-28.
That spending plan contains about $375 million in projects overall, and paying down debt on the work could account for nearly $30 million annually by fiscal year 2032-33. But Hudson emphasized that the plan may change substantially as the county’s priorities shift and staff receives direction from the board of commissioners. Last year’s plan, he pointed out, included about $160 million in projects for fiscal 2026-27, a figure that now stands at just over $40 million.
BPR emailed all seven Buncombe commissioners to ask about their approach to capital spending. Only Terri Wells and board Chair Amanda Edwards responded to those inquiries.
“Buncombe County maintains a conservative debt ratio and strong metrics within our debt policies, and each year, we weigh and balance the overall needs of our community; I am especially focused on Helene recovery and strategic goals that our community has prioritized,” Wells wrote.
Edwards confirmed she’s willing to increase taxes to meet the county’s rising costs.
“I will advise that we look for efficiencies first, because residents are already burdened with year-over-year inflation, but I won't balance the budget by gutting services that families rely on,” she wrote. “Some revenue increase may be necessary, and I'll be transparent about that trade-off if it comes to that.”
Edwards also said she was in favor of giving Buncombe voters the chance to approve three new bond packages. County staff have floated another $10 million in bonds for land conservation, up to $53 million for affordable housing, and up to $162 million for Buncombe County Schools projects. Referenda on the bond issues could appear on the November midterm ballot if the board issues the proper approval.
Commissioners are next scheduled to consider the county budget at a work session on Tuesday, March 24. The public hearing on the budget is currently slated for Tuesday, May 19, with budget adoption set for Tuesday, June 2.
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, Feb. 17. See the full recording and presentation from the Jan. 22 budget work session.
