Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Black Mountain council presses 30‑day review, considers program cuts and frozen positions to close budget gap
Summary
The Black Mountain Town Council began a budget workshop that outlined targeted cuts, a proposed 30‑day review timeline for department savings, and potential elimination of two vacant administrative positions while weighing cuts to local nonprofit grants and new fee/tax options to balance the books.
The Black Mountain Town Council opened a budget workshop in which members outlined options to close a budget shortfall, including program cuts, temporary freezes on vacant positions and a tightened timeline for staff to produce savings proposals.
Councilors discussed trimming roughly $100,000 in expenses and then adding $24,000 back for community grants, a change that would increase the savings target to about $124,000. The mayor said updated property‑value scenarios make the size of any tax‑rate change sensitive to valuation assumptions; staff presented figures showing different cent‑per‑$100 valuation impacts depending on whether new or prior valuations are used.
Councilors agreed to ask department heads to return draft savings proposals within 30 days, with an option to finalize in 60 days, narrowing the original 90–120 day timeline. Town Manager Richard (staff) told the council that some savings—banking fees, software contracts and position freezes—could be evaluated quickly, while more structural changes would take longer to implement.
At least two vacant administrative roles were identified for elimination or continued freeze: the assistant town manager and a project manager. Councilors said they do not want to extend cuts to sworn public safety or public works positions without further analysis.
Members debated whether to maintain recurring contributions to local organizations (Fonta Flora State Trail, Swannanoa Valley Museum, Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry and the Black Mountain Tree Committee). Supporters argued these groups provide clear public benefits; others said any retained funding must be balanced against the town’s need to restore fund balance.
Councilors also discussed an employee incentive idea to spur budget savings: pay staff a one‑time share of first‑year realized savings (a suggested 50% share was floated), an approach several members said they wanted researched and brought back for policy discussion.
The council emphasized that external cost pressures—rising landfill tipping fees, health insurance and retirement costs—limit the tools available to close the gap without affecting services. As next steps, the council asked staff to return budget drafts and supporting charts (including comparative pay tables for recruitment/retention) at the next meeting and to present proposed ordinances reflecting any personnel changes.
The council planned a public continuation of the budget discussion at the next scheduled meeting so citizens can review the draft and comment before any formal adoption.
