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Residents plead with council to protect police and fire funding, oppose proposed garbage tax
Summary
Multiple residents urged Black Mountain not to cut police or fire staffing — citing morale, housing and response-time risks — while another speaker opposed a proposed garbage tax, citing annexation promises; council asked staff for clarifications before the final vote.
During the public hearing on Monday evening, several residents urged the Black Mountain Town Council to avoid cuts to frontline public-safety staffing and to address long-standing facility and housing issues for police and fire personnel.
"There should be no cuts to the fire and police departments," said Tony Solid, who identified himself as a resident and the president of a local board. He called for a volunteer committee of local experts to advise the council on budget choices and on designing a permanent facility for the town’s first responders.
Glenn Rectine told the council he has more than a decade of experience with police and fire departments in larger cities and said the town’s public-safety personnel are skilled and need competitive pay and decent housing to stay. "Morale is low because they’re homeless," Glenn said, arguing that the town must prioritize retaining trained personnel.
Leanne Cunningham said matching county pay for firefighters is essential to avoid losing well-trained professionals and warned of a public-safety risk if staffing declines. Angela Leon recounted a recent medical emergency involving her 83-year-old mother and credited quick local response; she said that experience reinforced her plea for no cuts and for immediate steps to resolve housing for first responders.
Not all public commenters agreed with new user fees. Don Collins objected strongly to a proposed garbage tax, recounting that when some properties were annexed they were told they would receive garbage pickup as a benefit. "Garbage tax is not right," he said, and urged the council to honor earlier promises to annexed residents and to practice tighter fiscal restraint.
Councilors thanked speakers and said staff would provide requested clarifications — including whether some nonprofit properties pay the town’s sanitation fee and the precise retirement and health-cost increases — before the council votes on the budget later in June. No decisions affecting staffing levels were made at the meeting; the council moved into closed session afterward to discuss personnel matters.
