Adopted City budget is now online

  Asheville residents see modest fee changes with new fiscal year, July 1   Fourteen cents per month. That’s how much most residents will pay in an increase for their stormwater services starting July 1.   The City of Asheville’s fiscal year began July 1 and with it come some modest fee increases. Residents can find a list of all City [...]

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Asheville 2018 in review: New leadership, APD data releases, bond projects advance and more

  With 2018 nearly in the books, it’s time to take stock of City of Asheville projects and developments from the past year. Here are 10 topics that your City government advanced in 2018. We’ll have 2019 initiatives to look for in another roundup Jan. 1.   Debra Campbell becomes Asheville City Manager The search for a new City Manager [...]

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Asheville budget worksessions, adoption schedule announced

It’s budget season for the City of Asheville. From March through June, City Council will work with City staff to review budget options, aligning Council priorities with available funding.   The City’s operating budget must be passed by July 1. That’s because the City runs on a fiscal year of July through June. By law, it must be a balanced budget — [...]

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Asheville City Council adopts modest fees and charges changes for FY 2021-2022

    In a year when the COVID-19 pandemic economically challenged our community, the City of Asheville did not increase fees and charges for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 (which runs July to June). Also, in an effort to limit the financial impact of the pandemic, some fees were waived, and late charges were deferred. This was done even though [...]

Asheville City Council approves budget with key investments in our community

  Coming out of a pandemic with limited resources, the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget approved by Asheville City Council June 22 still includes service improvements to our community, such as extended evening transit hours starting in October and expanded evening and weekend hours for youth at City Recreation Centers.   The budget, which goes into effect July 1, [...]

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Asheville City Council Meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2022; Budget Public Hearing

Budget Public Hearing - Your chance to be Heard. The community is invited to this opportunity to comment on the recommended investments in person at the Council meeting or utilize remote options. We encourage community participation.                             

Asheville City Council passes FY23 budget with key investments in top priorities.

At its June 28 meeting Asheville City Council passed the City Managers recommended budget with a 6 to 1 vote.  The $217 million budget is based on internal work, community input and Council priorities, and reflects the long term strategies and continuation of the reimagining public safety process. 

Asheville City Council to hold budget retreat

  Asheville City Council will hold a budget retreat March 13 in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville banquet hall. This daylong budget retreat will be streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel at this link. Council members will attend a legislative breakfast starting at  8 a.m. and then the actual retreat will [...]

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Asheville City Council to hold budget work session prior to March 9 meeting 

  For safety and to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, Asheville City Council meetings will remain virtual at this time. That includes the March 9 City Council meeting. In addition to the 5 p.m. meeting Council will hold a 1 p.m. budget work session.   March 9 will be the first budget work session for the 2021-2022 budget. [...]

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Asheville City Council to hold budget work session prior to May 11 meeting 

    For safety and to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, Asheville City Council meetings remain virtual at this time. That includes the May 11 City Council meeting.  In addition to the 5 p.m. meeting Council will hold a 2:30 p.m. budget work session.   May 11 will be the fifth budget work session for the 2021-2022 budget. The [...]

Asheville City Council to hold March 20 worksession

  Asheville City Council will hold a worksession at 2 p.m. March 20 in the Council Chamber, second floor of City Hall, 70 Court Plaza.   The agenda for the March 20 City Council worksession is available by clicking on this link.   Among items on the agenda are Council discussion to set priorities to address policing in [...]

Asheville City Council to hold March 29 called meeting for closed session

  Asheville City Council will hold a special called meeting at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 29, to go into closed session. During this session, Council will consult with the City Attorney and consider personnel matters.  Please find the meeting notice below. Contact City Clerk Maggie Burleson at MBurleson@ashevillenc.gov with questions.   The Asheville City Council Finance Committee will [...]

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Asheville water rates to rise slightly

    Asheville water bills went down in the past year following discontinuation of a capital fee on customers’ combined utility statement on July 1, 2020. At the same time, the City of Asheville did not raise water rates last year. With the new Fiscal Year 2021-2022 that begins July 1, Asheville water customers will see a slight [...]

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City Council approves measure to control property tax collection costs

Controlling costs is not only smart for your budget, it’s also a fiscally responsible practice when it comes to managing taxpayer dollars.   A new agreement between Asheville and Buncombe County authorized by Asheville City Council during its Jan. 8 meeting reorders a property tax collection agreement. This change will help the City better plan for the [...]

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City Council passes modest Fees & Charges changes for FY 2019-2020

  At a glance                     On April 9, Asheville City Council adopted its Fees & Charges for FY 2019-2020.                     Fee increases are aimed at cost recovery to lessen the burden on property tax payers.                     There will be a modest increase to water and stormwater fees. Impact per the average household will be 70 cents a month or $8.40 for [...]

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City Manager’s proposed budget to be presented at May 24 Asheville City Council meeting

Following months of internal staff work and a series of budget work sessions, the City of Asheville will present the Manager’s proposed budget to City Council at its regularly scheduled  May 24 meeting.    PROCESS Throughout the development process, which included discussions of available resources, council priorities and departmental information, staff kept these guiding principles [...]

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City of Asheville joins Buncombe County in Homeowner Grant Program, applications open Aug. 6

Updated information, August 2, 2021 Buncombe County will begin accepting will begin accepting inquiries for the new Homeowner Grant Program on Friday, Aug. 6. While the City of Asheville is a funding partner, Buncombe County is administering the program designed to assist homeowners who may be struggling to pay property taxes.   Starting Aug. 6, eligible homeowners can [...]

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City of Asheville plans budget for next year while analyzing financial effects from pandemic

  During every budget season City staff work to analyze trends and develop forecasts that provide the financial context for City Council decisions during the budget process. For the fiscal year that begins July 1, those decisions will have to be made with limited information about the length and severity of the economic downturn we are [...]

City of Asheville presents proposed FY2023-24 Budget at May 9 City Council meeting

During Asheville City Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on May 9, City Manager Debra Campbell and Budget Manager Taylor Floyd presented the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 budget. Once adopted, the FY 2023-24 budget will fund City operations from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.    The FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget totals $239.7 million, a $22.1 million [...]

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City of Asheville takes equity-focused approach to budget

Work sessions scheduled   It’s budget season for the City of Asheville. From March through June, City Council will work with City staff to review budget options, aligning Council and community priorities with available funding.   The City’s operating budget must be passed by July 1.    The discussions leading up to the final budget happen during budget work sessions, meetings [...]

Dashboard designed to make Asheville’s proposed budget more accessible

Municipal budgets can be tricky to follow. There are different types of costs — personnel, operations and capital. And there are many different types of revenues that help pay for those costs — property taxes, sales taxes, grants and fees to name a few. To make government budgets even harder to decipher, programs and departments [...]

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How to engage in the City of Asheville budget process: Survey now open, meetings happening as well

  The City of Asheville wants to hear from you!  City staff have approached the budget process differently this year by reviewing existing services with a focus on members of our community that experience inequity.   Through our internal department work, and from what heard through Reimagining Public Safety several opportunities for improvements emerged: Economic [...]

Summary of Asheville City Council’s final budget work session

    Asheville City Council held their fifth and final budget work session May 11. Staff provided draft budget recommendations for City Council to consider including in the manager’s recommended budget. To review the presentation and materials, visit this website.    The draft recommendations for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 budget include a balanced and fiscally [...]