This news item expired on Monday, June 30, 2014 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Pursuant to House Bill 418, Ratified by the North Carolina General Assembly on July 16, 2013, Buncombe County was authorized to create a Culture and Recreation Authority.
On August 6 the Board of Commissioners officially created the Authority, a body corporate and politic, to manage or operate libraries, parks, greenways, recreation facilities, and cultural organizations in Buncombe County.
The Ordinance creating the Authority is listed below.
To fund the Authority, the County has approved a 3.5 cent ad valorem tax for FY2014. These revenues will be used only for cultural and recreational purposes under the jurisdiction of the Authority. Prior to the creation of the authority, funding for the County's libraries, parks, greenways, recreation facilities and cultural organizations was a part of the County's operating budget. Under the Authority, revenue will be dedicated to the upkeep and improvement of facilities and programs and for future capital projects in the area of culture and recreation.
Over the next few months, members will be appointed to the Authority. As the Authority takes shape, and this new body begins the development of Culture and Recreation as a separate entity for Buncombe County, more details will be available at buncombecounty.org/cra.