Almost seven hours after the start of Asheville City Council’s Tuesday meeting, the Council Chamber was still full to capacity. Residents stayed to share their concerns over a $1.14 million federal grant to the Asheville Police Department, which would support a real-time intelligence center (RTIC) allowing police to search and monitor cameras across the city.
Nearly two dozen speakers voiced their opposition to the RTIC. More were still signed up to speak when Mayor Esther Manheimer closed public comment on the matter, in accordance with a city policy that limits comment on any item to one hour. Over protest from the crowd, she called a vote, and Council members approved accepting the grant, with only Kim Roney in opposition.
The reaction was immediate.
“Bullshit!” one resident repeatedly shouted amid the general consternation. “This is not democracy!” yelled another. “Your constituents don’t want this,” added a third.
The controversial vote had been delayed from last month, when a similar crowd gathered against the RTIC. As before, residents said the new technology posed dangers to civil liberties, lacked sufficient protections for sensitive data and wouldn’t be operated transparently.
Council attempted to allay those concerns by adopting an additional resolution “to declare and reaffirm the protection of civil liberties of all residents and visitors in the collection and use of data.” The measure, proposed by Council member Bo Hess, called for technology to be used “solely for lawful purposes, which are intended to enhance or provide for public safety.”
But commenters, including Jessica Myers, said that language lacked any real enforceability. She argued that the city couldn’t promise that data gathered through the RTIC wouldn’t be accessed inappropriately by the federal government or the companies providing the technology. “We aren’t protected by any of the policies you think we have. We aren’t protected by civil liberties statements,” she said.
“You can’t negotiate against Skynet,” Myers added, referencing the malicious artificial intelligence system of the Terminator movie franchise.
Interim APD Chief Jackie Stepp focused her case for the RTIC on the additional capacity it would grant for investigating crimes. She noted that the software could use AI to search for weapons, vehicles and personal descriptors across camera feeds, allowing police to identify and track suspects more easily. She emphasized that APD would not use the system for facial recognition.
The interim chief also read letters of support from Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams and Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina recently appointed by President Donald Trump.
Stepp said she would continue to engage with the community through an “education campaign” as work begins. APD estimates that the new intelligence center could be operational by January.
Asheville proposes 2026-27 budget
Earlier in the meeting, City Manager DK Wesley presented Council with her proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-27. Although she noted that city staff had substantially reduced the originally projected $30 million budget gap, meeting Asheville’s needs will still require a property tax increase of 4.95 cents per $100 in assessed value, roughly 15% above the revenue-neutral rate.
For a typical residential property worth $500,000 — or about $350,000 prior to Buncombe County’s recent reassessment — the increase would raise the annual tax bill by about $345.
“This is a balanced and disciplined budget. It makes targeted investments while recognizing the very real financial pressures facing our residents and our organization,” Wesley said. “It does not attempt to solve every challenge in a single year, but it does move us forward in deliberate and meaningful ways.”
Major drivers of increased spending include debt service on $80 million in bonds Asheville voters approved in 2024, increases in health care and retirement costs for city employees, a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment for salaries and additional APD staffing. The budget also cuts some services, such as community center hours and maintenance of city-owned road medians. It does not fund other requests, including 16 new firefighters sought by the Asheville Fire Department.
Council will hold a public hearing on the budget Tuesday, May 26, and are slated to vote on adopting the document Tuesday, June 9. Other presentations and videos from the city’s budget process to date are available online.
Other tidbits
- Council unanimously denied a conditional zoning request that would’ve allowed a 100-unit affordable housing complex in Shiloh. Nearly 20 residents blasted the proposal during public comment, citing its potential impacts on traffic safety and its inconsistency with a community plan for the neighborhood. Although city staff supported the project, Asheville’s Planning and Zoning Commission did not recommend approval, raising what Manheimer called “a red flag.” Separately, Council unanimously approved a rezoning for 126 units of affordable housing off of Sweeten Creek Road.
- Two other affordable housing projects received about $8.4 million from a $225 million federal grant for Hurricane Helene recovery. The money will support 112 units on Biltmore Avenue and 93 on Tunnel Road. Although staff had recommended an additional $9.5 million award for a 126-unit development in East Asheville, Council was concerned about the per-unit expense of that project. Members also noted their plan to shift federal grant money toward single-family home repair, as previously reported by BPR.
- The city approved a nearly $7.2 million contract with Raleigh-based VHB Engineering NC for design work on 21 Hurricane Helene-related bridge and culvert replacements. Funding is expected to come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- Council renewed an agreement with the nonprofit Mills River Partnership to support water quality projects in the Mills River watershed. The city will provide up to $180,000 over three years for work like streambank restoration and stormwater pond construction.
Asheville City Council regularly meets every second and fourth Tuesday at the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza, beginning at 5 p.m. The next regular meeting will take place Tuesday, May 26. See the full recording and documents from the May 12 meeting.
