ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —

Asheville City Council members still are considering higher raises than originally proposed for firefighters and police officers, but an alternative budget proposal could require a property tax increase, digging deeper into fund balance reserves or a combination.

The issue has been simmering for months and will take center stage next week, when the City Council considers finalizing its budget for fiscal year 2025 at its meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday in a banquet room of Harrah’s Cherokee Center, 87 Haywood St., in downtown Asheville.

Firefighters and their supporters packed a City Council meeting last month to call a proposed, 4.11 percent across-the-board salary increase inadequate for front-line first responders, since many still would be left below the living wage level.

City Manager Debra D. Campbell cited financial “headwinds” the city in the original budget proposal, as slowing sales tax revenues, higher expenses and the exhaustion of federal Covid-19 relief funds required the city to use $7.8 million in fund balance reserves to cover city services without resorting to tax increases. The across-the-board 4.11 percent raise for all city employees was part of that.

But heading into next week’s meeting, that part still is up in the air, as council members try to respond to public concerns about the pay for public safety personnel and other city workers without breaking the bank.

At an agenda briefing teleconference on Thursday, Finance Director Tony McDowell presented an array of options, including one that would raise starting pay for firefighters by 8.8 percent, police officers by 6 percent, and give other regular, full-time non-public safety employees either $2,400 or 4.11 percent increases (whichever is greater).

As with other options — including plans presented by police and firefighter organizations — the staff proposal would require additional use of fund balance, property tax increases or a combination, McDowell said.

The staff salary option presented Tuesday would cost $1,260,000 more than what Campbell originally proposed. Covering that could require a tax increase of of 0.63 cents (per $100 of assessed valuation), costing the average taxpayer about $22.10 additional per year.

Last month, Mayor Esther Manheimer said that while the city had been trying to avoid tax increases this year, they were likely to be required one year from now. Heading into next week’s final budget decision, council members were trying to decide whether to include tax increases both this year and next year.