Buncombe County adopts $433.1 million budget with small tax-rate increase to aid Helene recovery
June 04, 2025 | Buncombe County, North Carolina
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Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinter announced that the Board of County Commissioners approved the upcoming fiscal year general fund budget at $433,100,000 and set the county tax rate at 54.66¢ per $100 of appraised value, a 2.9¢ increase.
County Manager Avril Pinter said the budget reflects the county’s priorities as the community continues to recover from Tropical Storm Helene: “The budget's general fund comes in at 433,100,000.0 with a tax rate of 54.66¢.” She told the briefing the county lost $111,400,000 in revenue and is working to restore school funding to pre‑Helene levels if the North Carolina Legislature approves the use of Article 39 sales tax funds.
The tax-rate change was described as modest. Pinter said restoring school funding to fiscal year 2025 levels depends on state approval of Article 39 sales tax funds, and that the Legislature could vote on that transfer as soon as the day of the briefing. The county’s Helene Recovery Center at 90 Cox Avenue, Asheville is funded through fiscal year 2026 and remains open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., she said.
The manager framed the budget as balancing recovery needs and a goal to keep property taxes “as low as possible” while addressing education and other recovery priorities. No detailed vote tally or mover/second for the budget approval was provided during the briefing.
County staff also reminded residents of recovery resources and programs tied to longer‑term recovery spending included in county planning and outreach materials.
The county said further details on specific departmental allocations and any dependent state actions will be reported in subsequent public materials and commission meetings.
County Manager Avril Pinter said the budget reflects the county’s priorities as the community continues to recover from Tropical Storm Helene: “The budget's general fund comes in at 433,100,000.0 with a tax rate of 54.66¢.” She told the briefing the county lost $111,400,000 in revenue and is working to restore school funding to pre‑Helene levels if the North Carolina Legislature approves the use of Article 39 sales tax funds.
The tax-rate change was described as modest. Pinter said restoring school funding to fiscal year 2025 levels depends on state approval of Article 39 sales tax funds, and that the Legislature could vote on that transfer as soon as the day of the briefing. The county’s Helene Recovery Center at 90 Cox Avenue, Asheville is funded through fiscal year 2026 and remains open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., she said.
The manager framed the budget as balancing recovery needs and a goal to keep property taxes “as low as possible” while addressing education and other recovery priorities. No detailed vote tally or mover/second for the budget approval was provided during the briefing.
County staff also reminded residents of recovery resources and programs tied to longer‑term recovery spending included in county planning and outreach materials.
The county said further details on specific departmental allocations and any dependent state actions will be reported in subsequent public materials and commission meetings.
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