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Buncombe County explores single fire tax district to address uneven funding and services
Summary
Staff presented a multi-step effort to move from 19 fire tax districts to a single countywide fire tax district, aimed at smoothing revenue inequities, establishing minimum service standards and improving financial sustainability for volunteer and municipal departments.
Buncombe County staff presented a plan at the Nov. 11 budget retreat to evaluate shifting from 19 separate unincorporated-area fire tax districts to a single countywide fire tax district, while retaining the existing 19 fire departments. The change is intended to address wide variation in tax rates and service levels across districts.
Rafael Bautista (strategy and innovation/service-delivery lead for the fire update) told commissioners that current fire tax rates in the unincorporated county range roughly from $0.09 to $0.24 per $100 of property value and that service standards also vary — some departments maintain 24/7 staffing while others remain volunteer-dependent. He said a countywide tax district would allow creation of a funding formula and minimum service standards so all residents receive a predictable baseline of fire protection, and that the county is consulting other North Carolina counties that have taken similar steps.
Staff described a multi-stage process through calendar 2025 and into early 2026: facilitator work sessions with fire chiefs, development of district-level minimum service standards and a funding formula, required statutory finding reports and mailed notices to affected property owners, and — if elected by the board — adoption of a new district and tax rate in the FY27 budget process. Bautista emphasized the goal of maintaining local departments while creating predictable, sustainable funding and asked chiefs to help design the funding model.
Commissioners raised concerns about public misunderstandings (the proposal would not reduce a department's total revenue without protections), the mechanics of a funding formula, and how standards would account for rural terrain differences. Staff said standards would be developed at the district/community level to reflect local risk and that the chiefs are central to building the model. Staff said more detailed findings and a funding formula will be presented in future work sessions.
