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Council adopts 2025 legislative agenda focused on Hurricane Helene recovery, asks state for match relief and revenue replacement
Summary
The council approved a compact legislative agenda that asks the state to (1) cover the 10% local FEMA public‑assistance match, (2) provide local government revenue‑replacement funding, (3) offer ongoing monetary and legislative support for recovery needs, and (4) reconsider recent constraints on down‑zoning authority (SB 382).
The Asheville City Council adopted a resolution approving a 2025 legislative agenda focused on Hurricane Helene recovery and directed the city attorney to send the resolution to the local legislative delegation.
Brad Brand, the city attorney, presented a shortened, recovery‑focused agenda intended to concentrate legislative advocacy on items most likely to receive attention during the North Carolina General Assembly’s 2025 long session. The agenda lists four primary requests: (1) ask the state to cover the 10 percent local match for FEMA public‑assistance projects; (2) provide local government revenue‑replacement funding (grants or forgivable loans) to fill storm‑related revenue shortfalls; (3) provide ongoing monetary support and related legislative action for housing, individual and business economic recovery, and infrastructure resiliency; and (4) reconsider recent changes to local zoning authority (notably the constraints created by Senate Bill 382) so the city retains tools to guide resilient recovery and land‑use decisions.
Brand noted deadlines for local bills and drafting deadlines in late February and early March and said a concise agenda gives the city’s delegation a clearer set of asks. Council discussed whether to add more specific housing requests recommended by community partners — rental assistance for low‑income households, temporary housing funding, tenant protections and a state housing tax credit — and staff and the mayor said several of those programmatic items may be funded through the city’s CDBG‑DR allocation and federal packages. Staff also noted an approximate award of $2.25 million in CDBG funds discussed during the meeting and said the city will continue to pursue federal support in addition to state advocacy.
A councilmember moved and a second followed to adopt the resolution; the motion passed with council approval. The city attorney will transmit the approved agenda to Asheville’s legislative delegation so it can inform bill drafting and advocacy in Raleigh.
