At its August 20 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners hosted a public hearing on the Schedule of Values for the 2025 property tax revaluation, adopted a resolution and budget amendment for recovery housing, recognized innovation award recipients and special awareness weeks, and more.
Community Development Block Grant Recovery Housing Program
Buncombe County applied for $1,000,000 from the N.C. Commerce’s Rural and Economic Development Division to support Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries (ABCCM) in expanding the Transformation Village recovery housing. This expansion includes the construction of a four-story, 64-unit building with 32 units dedicated to women and mothers in recovery from substance use.
During the meeting, commissioners approved a resolution accepting the grant and an interlocal agreement with Land of Sky Regional Council, a multi-county, local government, planning, and development organization that will directly administer the grant.
The Board also approved a budget amendment for this grant.
The Recovery Housing Program (RHP) funded units must be rented to households with income below 80% or less of Area Median Income and must meet RHP affordability requirements for a period of not less than 20 years.
This grant news comes just before International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, a day to recognize the tragic loss of life our communities face due to opioid and polysubstance use. It is also a time to come together to promote local resources and share the fact that overdoses are not inevitable. They are preventable. Community members are invited to join the County and Seek Healing for a free event for collective grieving and healing from 12-5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Carrier Park.
“The Board approved the submission of the application to NC Commerce’s REDD for the Recovery Housing Program funding to benefit individuals in recovery from substance use and who are low- or moderate-income persons,” the resolution states.
“Thank you for this partnership,” said Commissioner Terri Wells, “I am excited to see this move forward.”
Funds are slated to be expended by January 24, 2027.
Public Hearing on Schedule of Values
A public hearing was hosted during the meeting for the 2025 Schedule of Values for the upcoming property reappraisal in the County. The Schedule of Values outlines the methodology and procedures used to develop the 2025 assessed property values for the reappraisal of all real property for January 2025. This hearing was a chance for commissioners to hear community feedback. No community members signed up for the hearing.
No members of the public spoke during the hearing.
Methods, procedures, rules, terminology, categories, and classifications used by County appraisers are included in the manual, and they’ll be used to value property until the next countywide reappraisal.
Key Dates:
Sept. 3, 2024 – The Board adopts the schedule at its regular meeting.
Sept. 4, 2024 – Publish notice of adoption for four consecutive weeks.
Oct. 4, 2024 – The appeal period ends.
To view a presentation on the 2025 Schedule of Values, click here.
Innovation Award
A team from Buncombe County’s Economic Services department recently got much-deserved recognition by winning the NCACC Civic Excellence in Innovation Award that acknowledges innovative programs that provide cost/resource savings for counties. The team won for its “Pioneering a Shared Training Hub” project, learn more about it here.
Awareness Weeks
Commissioners recognized two awareness weeks in the community:
- World Breastfeeding Week: Buncombe County Health and Human Services and Latch AVL submitted a request to recognize August 1-7 as World Breastfeeding Week. “A breastfeeding-friendly community encourages families of all races and ethnicities to continue breastfeeding by providing a supportive and welcoming environment,” the proclamation states. Breastfeeding Week promotes health, bonding, and acknowledges the disparities in birth outcomes among the Black community. To read the full proclamation, click here.
- SMART Week: August 26-30 marks the inaugural SMART Week, a time to come together and spread the word about secure gun storage to prevent gun violence. The week calls on educating communities on steps gun owners and non-gun owners can take to securely store guns, model responsible behavior, and advocate for the safety of kids and teens. “SMART Week raises awareness and promotes efforts to educate the public about secure gun storage, Buncombe County commends Be SMART, a program developed by the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, and all involved in their endeavor to keep communities safe,” the proclamation states. To read the full proclamation, click here.
Tourism Development Board (TDA) Presentation
Vic Isley, president and CEO of ExploreAsheville, provided an update to the Board on the status of the Tourism Development Authority.
Updates included details on lodging tax investment’s impact on the local economy, an overview of the TDA’s strategies, and data on visitor contribution to the local economy over the years.
Click here to view the presentation.
DWI Task Force Funding
Commissioners approved a resolution and Agreement of Conditions for the FY25 DWI Task Force Funding from the N.C. Governor's Highway Safety Program as requested by Buncombe County Sheriff's Office (BCSO). This is the fifth year BCSO is receiving the funding for existing positions in the DWI Task Force, with increasing county matches each year. Click here to learn more.
200 College Street Renovation Project
County Commissioners also approved the consolidation of the $2,458,869 budget of the FY22 Administration Building Envelope Repair into the project for renovations taking place at 200 College Street. This increased the 200 College Street project’s budget to $4,958,869 with no new County funding required. Click here to learn more.