[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6486219,"mediaKeyId","5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518","parentId",5711287,"title","Buncombe County wins multiple NACo awards; volunteers recognized for Helene family assistance center","audioSeconds",910,"startMs",347000,"endMs",1257000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518&start=347&end=1257","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518/thumbnail_347000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6486219/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-wins-multiple-NACo-awards-volunteers-recognized-for-Helene-family-assistance-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486219-e6e5f9cbc6c287241dea87e54f53c5a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505483&Signature=PAVOqFzjpJi9Q6Uiqz6h60-7uDIAhAXH2HTbf7rEoHBPa7RWYHyrw5bt9FiKA4QUl92fRNK4Y7jgxs5e7E6Sh6V7JDs1m-iYY1dGetMgWmExrewrgmxmLCeszW2lwHK2Sn0VeQOf34LcwWGOaPI0xBVTyhH7VyswG736TsITdmb5L-fwXqNIToV62g6TSlCX2Ps7Lhn0zxhfZY6pQDJfK1Sw-HE2HyAKBwpOfvemgCEw3VifmgZOr5zIF5gYukM48uuDr9jki6CpwsD2dtrhIHFFBIJ8DUumJy3W7Wl8jdZRAq~Zt5xbe9jk7nlEZT9JjwvY4UQmWJombUbuSi5Rfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Buncombe County, NC","date","2025-09-03T17:51:19Z","article","At its Sept. 2 meeting, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners recognized staff and volunteers after the county earned multiple awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo).

Strategy and Innovation staff highlighted four NACo achievement awards. County programs singled out included Camp Rio, a free, weeklong environmental and agricultural summer camp for children of migrant farmworkers and children in foster care run by the Agricultural and Land Resources program; Buncombe Connections: Hope, Healing, Community Health Education, a multilingual opioid recovery outreach program produced by the Office of Equity and Human Rights and Health and Human Services; a Reading Mentors program at Inka Candler Public Library that recruits male volunteers for story time; and the Family Assistance Center created during Hurricane Helene to help find missing people and provide emergency assistance.

Staff and volunteers described the Family Assistance Center’s work during Helene: assembling volunteer teams, creating a registry to locate loved ones, coordinating with search-and-rescue and other partners, and operating intake and referral functions across county facilities. County officials singled out volunteers for a standing ovation and thanked staff across departments for their disaster response.

Library staff noted the reading mentors program was also recognized by the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association as the large system program of the year, and county behavioral-health staff publicized a local recovery rally scheduled for Sept. 19.

Why this matters: The awards highlight county programs that provide direct services—youth environmental education, addiction recovery outreach, disaster response and literacy initiatives—and recognize collaborative work among county departments and community partners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Meeting of The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners | September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners celebrated Buncombe County winning multiple National Association of Counties achievement awards and recognized volunteers and county staff for work at the Helene Family Assistance Center; officials also highlighted local reading mentors and opioid-recovery outreach programs honored by NACo.","taxTitle","Buncombe County, North Carolina","taxId",3914,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486222,"Buncombe County approves $5.4 million state disaster cash-flow loan; total allocation now $19.4 million",425,3620000,4045000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518&start=3620&end=4045","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518/thumbnail_3620000.jpg","/articles/6486222/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-approves-54-million-state-disaster-cash-flow-loan-total-allocation-now-194-million","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486222-60d95b29350c94d54fffa25d71a97d13/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505483&Signature=S0i5GrgD514f0dKFnMzT99Q4HnFUasA~da2k1CXEoEBLzfGOwiWR3bzBwBV~lY-ixMTq8PPN1pJY2Iybgc8-9GZrl2DZ607ViL~ykOODMjGTWD2JVOvn9pmr1LjAjr51Nx8ddD1gqbujKa5t2sTt0~Wk8B4gqwuQE~2qT4KJ2UBNTnUq75MQj8qrdZHa6bP3BHfOydREi-5IUzcUO~U4ktIAEnV9NKQpWfy5lGTBfWwN13BDT6vJMs0lqfvuk4ETFMSrqEwOTFWRzAj6BQxo1OFX6Qw7BrzOUEvpiOWWtGlsg7T791l0e1PfgJBcoKky1p5L0O1aLwQN5UfmbUUCpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Buncombe County commissioners on Sept. 2 approved the third round of state disaster cash-flow loans to help cover expenses from Hurricane Helene while the county awaits federal and insurance reimbursements.

Finance Director Melissa Moore told the board the total of state cash-flow loans across three rounds would reach $19.4 million. County staff reported total Helene-related expenditures of about $24.9 million to date and estimated roughly 82% of that spending may fall within FEMA reimbursement guidelines; about 15% has been submitted as insurance claims. Moore said an estimated $700,000 of current spending is at risk of not being reimbursed under FEMA rules.

Commissioners voted to accept a $5.4 million loan in this third round and approved a separate resolution authorizing the county manager to execute loan documents. The board recorded the motion and approved the resolution unanimously.

Moore cautioned that FEMA reimbursements can take years; she said the historical average is three to six years for full FEMA reimbursement. Staff said they continue weekly submissions of documentation to FEMA and are working with the county’s disaster consultants and the North Carolina Emergency Management to pursue obligations.

Why this matters: The loans provide short-term liquidity so county operations and recovery programs can continue while the county seeks reimbursement from FEMA and insurers. Commissioners said the state loans fill a cash-flow gap and that staff will continue to track incoming reimbursements and outstanding obligations.","Commissioners approved the third round of state disaster cash-flow loans to help cover Helene recovery costs as the county awaits FEMA and insurance reimbursements. County staff estimate $24.9 million spent to date on Helene-related response and recovery.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":79,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486229,"Buncombe County commissioners appoint Eric Kreger as county tax assessor",162,3458000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518&start=3458&end=3620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518/thumbnail_3458000.jpg","/articles/6486229/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Buncombe-County-commissioners-appoint-Eric-Kreger-as-county-tax-assessor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486229-6108d3c3933131d30fd6ef37ed948d5a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505483&Signature=ZOvovhTDKii63HQAoVVq5l-D47cxAwpIpHMmVvuieB-gxBH1PPTzjSLtFo8UMaBux2RhNMkwDAu20~UJfQx6DddXQGB6nx9riy2sUbX~R7jiMAb73DfRHUscFg2Y8fM~Z8ZhIp130OT8pQeocSfuliHB284bcibu6m2OtofrD2fZZqEi4yt83tDezuli5s3eMMC23QCoqonquGkO~hrUfeRzyPcDxa37trlcwLo2Rtb6CZ~X504iOWm34e8Ng1yfbWBv4Ud-NpQ~gBAyOTOHotOtc2bnYyGNwg0FvU43j1Kx9rEXbuJXDMJH4JyGppRovIRFNvVJ6uxfny~W0RePLQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Interim Tax Assessor Eric Kreger to a four-year term at its Sept. 2 meeting. Sybil Tate, assistant county manager, told commissioners a cross-department team had interviewed candidates following a national search and unanimously recommended Kreger for the regular position.

The board voted to appoint Kreger to a term running from September 2025 through September 2029. Commissioners thanked Kreger for staff morale improvements, enhanced data processes and steps towards greater transparency in the assessor’s office during the run-up to the 2026 reappraisal.

Why this matters: State statute requires county commissioners to appoint the tax assessor. The assessor’s office will lead the technical work of implementing the schedule of values and the 2026 reappraisal, including outreach, site visits and appeals processing.","The Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed interim assessor Eric Kreger to a four-year term as Buncombe County tax assessor on Sept. 2, effective immediately through Sept. 2029.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6486232,"Residents, advocates press Buncombe County for transparency ahead of 2026 reappraisal",925,1216000,2141000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518&start=1216&end=2141","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711287-e40152c0fd81176e6178fe211a0af518/thumbnail_1216000.jpg","/articles/6486232/Buncombe-County/North-Carolina/Residents-advocates-press-Buncombe-County-for-transparency-ahead-of-2026-reappraisal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6486232-9bdfbdcb728b5860e300dd3d6a06a0c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505483&Signature=O1pyq1tkP8aCSb~xT78lJSISbwJ88wYSD69~Sd9ZlT-E7HIo36HVleqIk5uYPgtomvHs1yTJDI9wRUJW9CVIiOoqyQe1JQ6ty3ACHiXo8NrZcP~Z2194mdAVo8qUEBRlBtstJ6H6IaRORDJhvt1Ykj09zaJMEpSfwgAJ6apUXCnPwRibYkMaYb0-mJ~yRMQKSx8GfnWRLszPK8hnEUwOpWyT1oxawo2DTrbbTG42~hVnDNYFtBnqhboVzS6H5AdUKyWKEJJXZa9~FXmEKbznaNEkCBSb~2e22TV~4VDRljp~~q75n6-uAj-ZaJYYpivS9wIQnHQlovFJ1mU~56MhJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Buncombe County officials opened a public hearing Sept. 2 on the proposed schedule of values that will underpin the countywide 2026 property reappraisal. Community members urged the Board of Commissioners to increase transparency and change procedures before the board votes to adopt the schedule at its Sept. 16 meeting.

Speakers at the hearing – including parents, teachers, urban planners and policy researchers – said property tax assessments shape school funding, public services and neighborhood stability and recommended specific changes. Christina Shimrock, speaking for an organizing coalition of ACAE, BCAE, Good Trouble WNC, Just Economics, Public School Strong and FAX, asked the county to publish both adjusted and unadjusted ratio studies for at least five years, consider moving to reappraisals every two years and make appeal outcomes public.

The coalition argued that unadjusted sales-ratio studies show the clearest picture of assessment accuracy and that more frequent reappraisals would reduce inequities that emerge between cycles. Lenore Hagerty, an urban planner and co-author of a prior assessment study, called for publishing unadjusted sales ratios and said doing so would help measure progress in equity and accuracy. Multiple speakers tied fair assessments to steady funding for schools and libraries.

Interim Tax Assessor Eric Kreger presented the schedule of values and explained the mass appraisal process, saying state law requires the assessor to provide the board the schedule before a reappraisal takes effect and that the county must set baseline rates for construction, land and depreciation. Kreger described three approaches to value—cost, sales comparison and income approaches—used to produce market-adjusted cost models for structures, and said the schedule sets baseline construction-quality grades and factors used by appraisers.

Kreger said staff had added more granular construction-quality grades (including a new “Q” code for unique properties) and refined size adjustments and land-value calculations. He described steps to identify and value unique high-end properties and said the assessor’s office is increasing site visits, auditing manufactured-home condition ratings and creating separate adjustment tables for manufactured homes.

Commissioners pressed Kreger on metrics the county will use to track performance, and he said the assessor’s office and the state Department of Revenue produce ratio studies. He said the office will run internal ratio studies, is pursuing an external ratio study, and will track standard appraisal metrics such as coefficient of dispersion across geographic areas. Kreger acknowledged reappraisals are resource-intensive and said more frequent reappraisals would require a dedicated reappraisal team and additional staff.

Several speakers raised short-term rentals and other commercial investment properties as an unresolved issue. Citizen and Urban3 founder Joe Manicosi told the board the schedule currently omits Airbnbs/short-term rentals and like properties from the income approach used for commercial investment properties, saying the omission leaves potential tax revenue unaddressed. Kreger noted changing classification of short-term rentals likely requires state-level action.

The board opened the record for public comment and will consider adoption of the schedule of values at its Sept. 16 meeting; Kreger said the county will publish a notice of adoption for four consecutive weeks and that the appeal period will end Oct. 17. He also explained that appeals to the schedule itself would be heard by the Property Tax Commission in Raleigh once the county adopts the schedule and the appeal period opens.

Speakers also pressed the assessor’s office to publish appeal outcomes—how many appeals succeed and the average reductions—so the public can evaluate whether the appeals process is equitable. Kreger said the office has improved data systems, increased staffing and is performing targeted site visits in response to prior audit recommendations and public feedback.

Why this matters: The schedule of values sets how the assessor’s office translates sales and construction data into taxable values. Community members warned that if the schedule does not explicitly include methodologies or categories for certain property types, the assessor cannot apply them in the reappraisal. The board will vote on adoption Sept. 16, starting a formal four-week notice period and a subsequent appeals window that closes Oct. 17.","At a Sept. 2 public hearing, residents and education and housing advocates urged Buncombe County to publish unadjusted ratio studies, consider more frequent reappraisals and increase appeals transparency before the board adopts the schedule of values on Sept. 16.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Buncombe County wins multiple NACo awards; volunteers recognized for Helene family assistance center

Buncombe County approves $5.4 million state disaster cash-flow loan; total allocation now $19.4 million

Buncombe County commissioners appoint Eric Kreger as county tax assessor

Residents, advocates press Buncombe County for transparency ahead of 2026 reappraisal