From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE — Just one day after U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., “labeled Buncombe County one of nine counties in the state he considers ‘sanctuary jurisdictions,’ the North Carolina House passed a GOP-backed bill April 30 that seeks to bolster state law forcing sheriffs to work more closely with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on May 8.

“If passed into law, House Bill 318 would nearly double the number of charges that require local law enforcement to ask about a person’s immigration status,” the ACT noted, adding, “This is typically the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal government, according to immigration attorney Jacob Oakes with Pisgah Legal in Buncombe County. 

“The bill comes soon after two others — one ratified into law in December — brought by Republican lawmakers in the state House and Senate to aid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

“The expansion would include all felony charges, protective order violations, any impaired driving offense and additional misdemeanor charges, including battery of a pregnant woman and sex offenses, according to the bill.”

Further, the ACT  stated that “the bill builds on a law enacted last year by requiring local law enforcement notify ICE within two hours of the person’s scheduled release if they had been held under a temporary detainer request. It also triggers the 48-hour ICE hold policy to begin only after a detainee would otherwise be released from custody, rather than when the ICE detainer is received.

“The bill adds additional burden on judicial officials — a judge or magistrate — to attempt to determine the defendant’s legal status after their arrest. If they cannot confirm the defendant is a legal resident or citizen, the judicial official must order a query to ICE and set a two-hour hold on the defendant,” the newspaper reported.

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE —  The N.C. Department of Transportation says “it is moving forward with construction plans for the northern section of the I-26 Connector project despite pushback from critics upset over its new design,” the Asheville Citizen Times reported on April 30.

“At an April 24 project update meeting in the ballroom of downtown’s Renaissance Hotel, revised plans were displayed for the 375 meeting-goers — the first new public-facing maps since those presented at a 2018 public hearing,” the ACT stated, adding the following:

“The connector’s northern section is its priciest. The $1.2 billion project includes a new portion of interstate from the Haywood Road interchange, crossing the river and connecting to U.S. 19/23/70 north of Broadway, as well as roadway improvements along Riverside Drive.

“A recently revealed revival of an unpopular element believed to have been quashed 15 years before has drawn new project critiques. Much of the frustration centers on a 150-foot-wide interstate bridge that will arch over Patton Avenue west of the French Broad River, rather than under.”

Meanwhile, Michael McDonough, a founding member of the Asheville Design Center, told the newspaper that, as an architect, he can see the potential of good design.

“You can meet the needs elegantly or brutally,” he told the ACT. “And this is brutally.”

From Staff Reports 

MAGGIE VALLEY —  New life could be on the way for Ghost Town Village, the shuttered amusement park in Maggie Valley, with a potential buyer expressing interest in reviving it, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on May 7 and 8. 

Ghost Town owner Jill McClure told News 13 that the potential buyer is from Florida, where he operates an entertainment venue.

“Not a big attraction, but one I think that Maggie Valley can accommodate – something similar. Actually, not even similar. It will be a totally different venue. They love country music, rodeos, convention-type events, festivals,” McClure said.

News 13 added that “she is not naming the potential buyer yet or what he operates in Florida, but she said he’s likely to keep the western town. McClure also said the plan would be to keep the park family-friendly.”

She then told the TV station, “It’s my intention to sell the park for something for entertainment that will help Maggie Valley’s tourism industry. I don’t want to see housing put all over the top of it.”

From Staff Reports 

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Asheville, N.C., recently was ranked No 8 on Livability.com’s Top 10 list of 2025 best places to live in the Southeast, the Asheville Citizen Times reported on April 18.

However, in the same study, Greenville, S.C., once again topped Asheville, as Liveability.com rated Greenville at No. 6, in a tie with Durham, N.C.

To that end, Liveability.com’s study stated, “Those who move to Greenville ― a city of 79,420 that’s tucked at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and ranks high in our environmental category ― will appreciate that this is a region that prizes the outdoors, hooking adventure seekers with nearby waterfall hikes, sparkling lakes and standout state parks like” Paris Mountain State Park.

(“Livability.com is owned and operated by Journal Communications, which is a Franklin, Tenn.-based publisher,” AI Overview noted. “Journal Communications publishes over 100 custom magazines for chambers of commerce, economic development agencies and corporations.”)

As for Asheville (population 95,376), Livability.com cited the city’s mountain setting, vibrant culture and thriving arts scene as key factors in its Top 10 finish.

The city also scored well in environment, amenities and education categories.

Only mid-size cities with populations between 75,000-500,000 were considered for the list. According to Livability.com, “that’s the sweet spot in size for getting plugged in, finding your people and feeling at home fast.” Similarly, only cities with median home values of $500,000 or less were considered.

From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE — The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners — during a budget work session on April 22 – directed its staff to identify potential budget cuts to help manage the financial difficulties stemming from Helene, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on April 24 

According to Lillian Govus, the director of communications and public engagement for Buncombe County Government, one of the challenges in the post-Helene landscape is the significant loss of property tax base due to more than 9,000 damaged buildings.

“As of January 2025, the county’s property tax collection rate is at 95.82 percent, which is down for 2024’s rate of 96.1 percent,” News 13 quoted Govus as saying.

The county’s revenue projections for fiscal 2025 show shortfalls compared to budget in the following areas:

• Property tax: minus-$5.2 million

• Intergovernmental fees: minus-$0.4 million

• Local option sales tax: minus-$2.2 million

• Sales and services: minus-$0.9 million

• Other revenues: minus-$4.4 million

As a result, News 13 noted, “the county is looking at a $13.1 million revenue shortfall. The revenue projection was based on an assessment conducted in April 2025.

“Govus said that as the fiscal year 2026 budget continues to come into focus, commissioners and staff have made adjustments to the proposed expenditures and received updated projections for revenues.”

The TV station then quoted Govus as saying, “To save money, the county will not be adding any new positions, is recommending reduced vehicle purchases and more. Commissioners directed staff to look at pausing some community investments and initiatives while continuing to work with outside partners to identify additional savings, as the budget continues to evolve ahead of its’ adoption in June.”

Below is a list of upcoming meetings:

• May 2 — Education and fire districts (work session)

• May 20 — Public hearing on recommended budget

• June 3 — Budget adoption.