|
From Staff Reports
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville residents packed an Asheville City Council council meeting on Feb. 24, “voicing concerns about possible tax increases, service cuts and what the roughly $30 million projected gap” in the city's General Fund for the next fiscal year “could mean for the community,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported later on Feb. 24.
To that end, a continuing refrain from many of the speakers was “find other solutions” other than raising taxes and fees. And some offered solutions for resolving the budget gap.
Regarding the city’s looming massive deficit, AI Overview stated on March 1, “Asheville’s projected $30 million budget gap for the 2026–2027 fiscal year (recently updated to $26.4 million as of February 2026) is primarily attributed to the exhaustion of “one-time fixes” used to balance the previous budget, rising operational costs and the financial after-effects of Hurricane Helene...
“City officials have stated that closing the gap will likely require a combination of property tax increases (estimated at a 5.8 percent rise), new fees and potential service reductions. Public hearings are ongoing, with the next major session scheduled for May 26...
“While it is one of the largest in modern times, it is not the largest in the city’s entire history. The historical record for financial crises in Asheville belongs to the Great Depression era, when the city held the highest per-capita debt in the country, leading to decades of financial stagnation,” AI Overview noted.
Among those speaking at the hearing was former vice mayor and local business leader Chris Peterson, who, during a three-minute public comment period, accused council of deception in its handling of its projected collosal budget deficit.
|
