ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $433.1 million budget for fiscal year 2026, prioritizing education, Hurricane Helene recovery and key community programs amid an $11.4 million drop in revenue.

The budget, which covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, includes a property tax rate of 54.66 cents per $100 of appraised value — a 2.9 cent increase. Education remains a priority, with $121.8 million allocated to Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Despite fiscal challenges following the impact of Hurricane Helene, commissioners said the spending plan balances vital services with prudent cuts. To address the shortfall, the county reduced $4.6 million in departmental operating budgets, trimmed $7.5 million from salary budgets through vacancy and turnover savings, cut $4.6 million in discretionary community investments and realized $1.7 million in debt service savings through refinancing.

“Commissioners are working hard to meet the challenges and diverse needs of our community while keeping the tax rate as low as possible,” a news release from the county said.

The education funding breakdown includes:

  • $95.8 million for Buncombe County Schools
  • $17.3 million for Asheville City Schools, plus $16.5 million in supplemental tax revenue
  • $8.4 million for A-B Tech
  • $10.9 million in capital funding for school facility upgrades

In anticipation of potential legislation (HB183 or SB131) that would impact sales tax distribution, the board also approved a resolution authorizing the use of Article 39 sales tax revenues to restore school funding to pre-Helene fiscal year 2025 levels, if either bill becomes law.

Other major funding areas include:

  • $98.4 million for public safety, including EMS, 911, the sheriff’s office and the detention center
  • $96.6 million for human services such as Medicaid, foster care and septic permitting
  • $66 million for general government, including property assessments, IT and vehicle fleet services
  • $12.2 million for cultural and recreational services, including libraries, parks and summer programming
  • $10.8 million for economic and physical development, including permitting, planning and agricultural services
  • $5.7 million for community investments, including early childhood education, homeowner grants and Isaac Coleman grants

County employees will receive a 3.09% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), but no new positions are included in the budget. Two roles will be reclassified to support recovery and floodplain management.

The budget also includes several increases in special district taxes:

  • Asheville City Schools supplemental tax: 11 cents, up from 10.62
  • Enka-Candler Fire District: 13.5 cents, up from 12
  • French Broad Fire District: 22.7 cents, up from 22.2
  • Reynolds Fire District: 13.11 cents, up from 11.24
  • Swannanoa Fire District: 15 cents, up from 14
  • Upper Hominy Fire District: 20.6 cents, up from 19
  • West Buncombe Fire District: 15 cents, up from 13.5

The full FY26 budget and a breakdown of expenditures are available here. The June 3 meeting can be viewed here.