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Avery County keeps property tax rate steady, adopts $39.6 million budget with $3 million fund‑balance use
Summary
The Avery County Board of Commissioners on June 3 adopted a $39.6 million FY 2024–25 budget that maintains the general property tax rate at $0.335 per $100 valuation, uses $3.0 million from fund balance to avoid a rate increase and commits $9.67 million in local tax dollars to schools.
The Avery County Board of Commissioners adopted the Fiscal Year 2024–25 budget on June 3, keeping the general ad valorem tax rate at $0.335 per $100 valuation and approving total General Fund appropriations of $39.6 million.
County Manager Phillip Barrier Jr. presented the budget as balanced on a total county valuation of $6.315 billion and said the plan required a $3.0 million appropriation from fund balance to hold the tax rate steady. The combined countywide tax rate, including a 6.5‑cent fire tax, remains 40 cents per $100 valuation.
The proposed spending plan increases overall expenses by 6.85% over the prior year and maintains major commitments to public safety and education. Public Safety comprises the largest share of the budget at 32%; education plus related debt service comprise roughly 20%. The budget includes capital and debt obligations for the new Avery High School and a $750,000 general capital outlay.
Vice‑Chair Dennis Aldridge, defending the board’s deliberations, said the county is using fund balance to avoid placing additional tax burdens on residents and emphasized a need for long‑term strategic planning: “We are the elected body that represents the people of Avery County,” he said, adding that minimum funding protocols and a declining student population can raise future fiscal obligations.
Commissioner Wood Hall Young Jr. and others urged continued coordination with the Board of Education on priorities. Michelle Burnop, an Avery County School Board member, thanked commissioners for recent capital investments and requested continued local support for operational needs and Pre‑K programming.
A motion to adopt the budget was moved and seconded and passed unanimously (5–0). The board held a public hearing as required by state law before taking the vote.
What happens next: the budget ordinance adopted by the board authorizes appropriation and spending through June 30, 2025, and staff may return to the board for project ordinances or budget amendments as required.
