Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the General Obligation Bonds topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Update: Buncombe County GO bond allocations show remaining balances for housing and open-space projects
Summary
Staff reported $30M of $40M in affordable-housing bond funds and $22M of $30M in open-space bond funds have been allocated; remaining balances (~$10M housing, ~$7.7M open space) could be used for Cox/Ferry gaps, land-conservation matches, greenways or another community grants call.
Rachel Sawyer, Buncombe County’s Strategic Partnerships Director, briefed commissioners on the status of the 2022 general obligation (GO) bonds and options for remaining funds.
Sawyer said $30 million of the $40 million affordable-housing bond has been allocated and $22 million of the $30 million open-space bond has been allocated to projects approved by the board. She described administrative and debt lines approved in 2023 and said the remaining unallocated balances are roughly $10 million for affordable housing and about $7.7 million for open space, subject to contract execution and project closeouts.
On the open-space side, Sawyer and staff identified potential near-term requests from the Land Conservation Advisory Board (about $2.2 million in projects) and an Ag Growth Zone match opportunity that could require county matching funds pending award outcomes. The presentation also flagged project placeholders on the recreation side, including Deaverview Mountain and recovery-focused greenway projects (Gateway Park, Hawk Creek, Hominy Creek), and noted a soon-to-be-released Parks & Recreation Master Plan that will further inform prioritization.
Commissioners discussed options for the remaining affordable-housing balance—maintain the pool for competing local AHSP applications, direct funds toward Cox Avenue or Ferry Road gaps, or hold funds in anticipation of a future bond question. Sawyer said subcommittees (Affordable Housing Subcommittee, GO Bond Oversight Committee, LCAB) will bring formal recommendations as proposals mature.
Next steps: committees will evaluate requests and present recommendations to the board; staff will continue to track contract closeouts and bring any project re-allocations or requests to commissioners for action.
