Asheville Council adopts $256.36 million FY 2025–26 budget with 3.26¢ tax-rate increase

Asheville City Council on a unanimous vote adopted a $256,360,000 operating budget for fiscal year 2025–26 that includes a 3.26¢ increase to the property tax rate, a set of employee pay adjustments and one-time funding to support storm recovery projects.

City Manager Deborah Campbell, presenting the proposal to council, said the budget "maintains the city's core services to the community, restores the fund balance in a manner to maintain the city's strong credit rating, and utilizes one-time revenue sources, such as community development block grant, disaster recovery grant funds, and federal emergency management agency dollars to fund the community's recovery priorities to enable us to build back better." The increase is intended to cover continuing operations, pay adjustments and to preserve the city's financial metrics.

Staff and council emphasized the budget's role in disaster recovery and workforce retention. Lindsay Spangler, budget division staff, told council that "the budget will include a 3.26¢ property tax rate increase, which will allow us to continue with current operations throughout the city" and reviewed…