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Buncombe County reviews FY2027 first‑pass budget as inflation, health care and personnel costs bite
Summary
County staff presented a first‑pass FY2027 budget that highlights rising inflation and health‑care claims, an $18M slate of departmental requests with heavy sheriff/public safety demand, and next steps on revenues and public hearings ahead of a June 2 adoption.
The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners met April 8 for a first‑pass FY2027 budget work session, where staff framed the fiscal pressure the county faces and outlined major service‑function requests ahead of a recommended budget on May 5 and a public hearing May 19.
"Since 2020, we've lived through several major events or economic disruptions that have broadly impacted the global economy and had significant inflationary impacts," a county presenter said, summarizing pandemic, international conflict and tariff effects that staff said have produced a 5‑year compounded inflation rate through 2025 not seen since 1991.
Staff noted the FY26 general fund is $438.1 million and broke down spending by function: education (~$125.9 million, roughly 29%), public safety (~$98.5 million, ~23%), human services (~$96.8 million, ~22%) and general government (~$66.5 million, ~15%). The presentation connected those totals to service obligations — school current expense, sheriff operations and detention, ambulance and EMS, public health, libraries and parks — to explain why operating and personnel costs are rising.
Personnel drivers were a major focus: staff presented a 2.71% cost‑of‑living adjustment calculation, said new position requests total about $4.4 million, that a state increase in the required retirement match adds roughly $1.4 million, and that rising health‑care claims add an estimated $5.3 million to the budget. "Our claims have been quite high this year," staff said; a consultant will return with more detail.
On process, staff asked the board for guidance on community investments and grant reinstatements and reminded commissioners of the schedule: a revenue discussion April 16, a final work session April 28, a recommended budget and tax rate May 5, a public hearing May 19 and adoption on June 2.
The board recessed briefly and returned for department‑level briefings, after which the chair closed the session with a moment of silence for a recently deceased county employee.
