Black Mountain council weighs two-cent tax hike, freezes and fee increases to close budget gap

Town staff presented a series of measures to close Black Mountain’s projected budget shortfall, including a proposed two-cent property tax increase, temporary freezes on vacant and filled positions and higher user fees for water, solid waste and the municipal golf course. The council accepted the amended meeting agenda, moved into a closed personnel session and then continued a detailed budget work session where staff laid out the options.

The staff presenter said the town pumps roughly 8–9 million gallons of water per month and currently produces about 25–32% of that; about 70% of consumption is supplied by Asheville under a wholesale agreement. Staff compared the town’s per-gallon production cost with Asheville’s wholesale rate and proposed several balancing options: freezing the assistant town manager, project manager and public information officer positions for one year; adopting a 5% vacancy rate in salary lines; and transferring FEMA/hurricane relief funds back into the general fund to reduce debt service pressures.

On the revenue side, staff proposed a two-cent tax increase on the new reappraisal rate (estimated to generate roughly $526,000), increasing green fees by about $7 per round (projected $154,000) and raising the solid-waste fee by $3.50 per month (projected $156,000). Staff also suggested drawing $100,000 from fund balance as a bridge while department heads identify another $100,000 of cuts within 90–120 days for budget amendments.

The presentation highlighted tradeoffs and risks: the water fund faces tight margins and would likely require rate increases or increased production to be sustainable; freezes and one-time transfers can provide short-term relief but may create service or staffing pressures in future years. Councilors repeatedly emphasized the need to balance short-term fixes with long-term sustainability and to prioritize measures that minimize harm to lower-paid employees.

Procedurally, the council set a schedule for final decisions: an interim budget workshop a week from the work session and a public hearing the following Monday. Councilors asked staff to provide any material changes no later than the Tuesday before the final workshop so ordinance numbers and public notice could be finalized.