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Black Mountain adopts 2025–26 budget, sets tax rates and approves year-end amendments
Summary
The Black Mountain Town Council approved the final budget and tax rates on June 30, set rates at 0.355 (existing appraisals) and 0.249 (new appraisals), and approved year-end amendments including reversing two previously adopted resolutions to correct a loan overbudgeting error.
The Black Mountain Town Council on June 30 approved the town's 2025–26 budget, set property tax rates and adopted year-end budget amendments.
Council member Larry moved to approve the budget as presented and set tax rates at 0.355 per $100 valuation (existing appraisals) and 0.249 per $100 valuation (new appraisals). After discussion about departmental savings and future amendments, the council approved the motion by voice vote; a roll-call tally does not appear in the transcript.
Staff presented fund totals and fees: the general fund total was stated in the meeting record as approximately $13.37 million; development services (planning and zoning) was shown as $673,149, the stormwater budget as $392,000, the technology fund as $16,000 and the community outreach budget as $42,000. The town's water fund was discussed at length: staff said water sales are projected to be about $450,000 less than budgeted and that, after planned draws, unrestricted water-fund cash was estimated to decline to about $418,000 as of June 30, 2025.
Council approved a motion to reverse two prior resolutions (R-25-100 and R-25-101) to correct an overbudgeting entry related to a $3 million water-fund bridge loan and to approve a journal entry reflecting that correction. Staff was asked to provide a detailed accounting of that loan by the July meeting.
Richard and finance staff noted the council had budgeted roughly $360,000 to the fire special revenue fund but only had about $158,000 available, so an additional appropriation of $225,000 from fund balance was proposed to cover shortfalls and to keep funds balanced at fiscal year end. The council moved to approve the year-end amendments and the motion passed by voice vote.
Council members pressed for additional review of technology spending and fleet management—councilors noted about $600,000 in total technology-related expenditures but only $16,000 in the technology fund and asked staff to bring proposals for cost reductions and clearer accounting in August.
Next steps: staff will provide a detailed breakout of the $3 million loan and final spending by the July meeting and will bring a budget amendment in August to identify the $125,000 in additional cuts referenced in the adopted ordinance.
