The City of Asheville is committed to transparent, data-driven decision-making to create equitable outcomes for everyone in our community. Regular reporting on progress toward Council-defined priorities is a key component of that commitment.
Asheville operates on a fiscal year (FY) basis that runs from July 1 through June 30, with the fiscal year designated by the year in which it ends. Thus, FY26 began on July 1, 2025 and will end on June 30, 2026.
View Council Vision 2036 Focus Areas
Annual Reports
The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 – June 30 each year. Annual reports serve to highlight many of the achievements and successes from throughout the year and the work that was done to fulfill the City Council’s vision and priorities.
Annual Report FY 2023-2024 English
Annual Report FY 2023-2024 Spanish
Council Priorities (FY26)
Priorities are developed each year by the Asheville City Council at their annual retreat.-
Economy
- Ensure that businesses impacted by the disaster have access to resources needed to recover and rebuild.
- Strengthen outreach and support for underrepresented businesses to ensure equitable recovery opportunities.
- Expand the City’s contractor pool to improve capacity for recovery and future resilience projects.
- Enhance Asheville’s economy and strengthen resilience through a diversified and sustainable economic base.
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Housing
- Help residents navigate post-disaster housing challenges by connecting them to available resources and funding.
- Proactively address future displacement events (e.g., developing a Disaster Housing Plan).
- Support temporary and permanent housing solutions for displaced residents.
- Leverage policy tools and partnerships where possible to expand housing options in the City.
- Advance housing stability efforts such as home repair programs and regulatory flexibility to increase supply.
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Infrastructure and Environment
- Rebuild infrastructure with a focus on long-term resilience, even if it means a longer recovery timeline.
- Improve water system resilience, flood management, and stormwater infrastructure to reduce future risks.
- Strengthen the City’s ability to prepare for and respond to climate-related disasters.
- Prioritize environmental sustainability, recognizing the impact and role of Asheville’s natural resources in recovery.
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People
- Support residents recovering from disaster impacts while strengthening long-term community resilience.
- Ensure clear, consistent communication so people feel informed, engaged, and connected to resources.
- Strengthen neighborhood-level preparedness efforts (e.g., resilience/neighborhood hubs and neighborhood disaster planning).
- Recognize that pre-existing vulnerabilities are amplified in disasters and work to address these disparities.
Council Priorities (FY25)
Priorities are developed each year by the Asheville City Council at their annual retreat.-
Homelessness Strategies
- Through partnerships, make homelessness rare, brief and non recurring by targeting strategies recommended by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
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Equitable and Affordable Housing and Stability
- Implement anti-displacement strategies while increasing housing supply in strategic areas/corridors and reducing barriers to construction.
- Incentive access for low income residents/households with emphasis on equitable growth
- Continue to update the Unified Development Ordinance
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Neighborhood and Climate Resilience
- Through engagement and partnerships, prioritize resources and capacity across our climate, sustainability, and neighborhood plans to maximize impact.
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Reparations
- Maximize and support collaboration with the Community Reparations Commission and community partners to effectively implement short and long term recommendations including the audit findings and long term accountability strategies
- Grow reparations investment by maintaining funding commitments and continue to look for additional revenue sources and funding partners.
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Reimagining Public Safety
- Improve community safety outcomes by securing funding, increasing and diversifying programming and partnerships to address quality of life issues.
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Improve and Maintain Infrastructure and Core Services
- Hire and retain excellent staff
- Prioritize and increase investments in municipal assets
- Strengthen regional partnerships and explore creative and ambitious untapped revenue sources including federal, state, regional and bond funds, etc.
Council Priorities (FY24)
Priorities are developed each year by the Asheville City Council at their annual retreat.-
Homelessness Strategies
- Through partnerships, make homelessness rare, brief and non recurring by targeting strategies recommended by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
-
Equitable and Affordable Housing and Stability
- Implement anti-displacement strategies while increasing housing supply in strategic areas/corridors and reducing barriers to construction.
- Incentive access for low income residents/households with emphasis on equitable growth
- Continue to update the Unified Development Ordinance
-
Neighborhood and Climate Resilience
- Through engagement and partnerships, prioritize resources and capacity across our climate, sustainability, and neighborhood plans to maximize impact.
-
Reparations
- Maximize and support collaboration with the Community Reparations Commission and community partners to effectively implement short and long term recommendations including the audit findings and long term accountability strategies
- Grow reparations investment by maintaining funding commitments and continue to look for additional revenue sources and funding partners.
-
Reimagining Public Safety
- Improve community safety outcomes by securing funding, increasing and diversifying programming and partnerships to address quality of life issues.
-
Improve and Maintain Infrastructure and Core Services
- Hire and retain excellent staff
- Prioritize and increase investments in municipal assets
- Strengthen regional partnerships and explore creative and ambitious untapped revenue sources including federal, state, regional and bond funds, etc.
Council Priorities (FY23)
Priorities are developed each year by the Asheville City Council at their annual retreat.-
Homelessness Strategies
- Through partnerships, make homelessness rare, brief and non recurring by targeting strategies recommended by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
-
Equitable and Affordable Housing and Stability
- Implement anti-displacement strategies while increasing housing supply in strategic areas/corridors and reducing barriers to construction.
- Incentive access for low income residents/households with emphasis on equitable growth
- Continue to update the Unified Development Ordinance
-
Neighborhood and Climate Resilience
- Through engagement and partnerships, prioritize resources and capacity across our climate, sustainability, and neighborhood plans to maximize impact.
-
Reparations
- Maximize and support collaboration with the Community Reparations Commission and community partners to effectively implement short and long term recommendations including the audit findings and long term accountability strategies
- Grow reparations investment by maintaining funding commitments and continue to look for additional revenue sources and funding partners.
-
Reimagining Public Safety
- Improve community safety outcomes by securing funding, increasing and diversifying programming and partnerships to address quality of life issues.
-
Improve and Maintain Infrastructure and Core Services
- Hire and retain excellent staff
- Prioritize and increase investments in municipal assets
- Strengthen regional partnerships and explore creative and ambitious untapped revenue sources including federal, state, regional and bond funds, etc.
Council Priorities (FY22)
Priorities are developed each year by the Asheville City Council at their annual retreat.-
Reparations
- Maximize and support collaboration with the Community Reparations Commission and community partners to effectively implement short and long term recommendations including the audit findings and long term accountability strategies
- Grow reparations investment by maintaining funding commitments and continue to look for additional revenue sources and funding partners.
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Employee Compensation
In Fiscal Year 2019-2020, the City contracted with the Archer Company to complete a Total Compensation Study. There were two phases to the study; the first was an analysis of the impact of raising minimum pay to $31,200 for a 40-hour work week, was completed and implemented in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2019-2020. The second phase, which included an analysis of positions, classifications, salaries, and benefits throughout the City in comparison to the market, was completed in Fiscal Year 2020-2021 and resulted in a number of recommendations, which were implemented in FY 2021-2022.
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Reimagining Public Safety
- Improve community safety outcomes by securing funding, increasing and diversifying programming and partnerships to address quality of life issues.
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Utilization of ARPA Funding
In 2021, the Federal Government passed the American Rescue Plan Act allocating $65.1 Billion to help communities recover from COVID-19. The City of Asheville received $26 Million dollars in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. This federal recovery funding was made available to governmental agencies to respond to the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19, to contain the impacts of COVID-19 on our communities, residents, and businesses, and to lay a foundation for a strong and equitable recovery. During Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the City Council had the important task of deciding how to best leverage the use of these ARPA funds to assist with COVID-19 recovery in the community.