Buncombe County weighs options after state pauses use of 2026 property reappraisals

Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder and Board Chair Amanda Edwards briefed reporters on the local consequences of two recent state measures, saying the county must choose between adopting a revenue-neutral tax rate to use newly completed 2026 property values or remaining subject to a one-year moratorium that would leave 2021 values in place.

The announcements followed Governor Josh Stein's June 19 signing of Senate Bill 889, which places a moratorium on using updated 2026 reappraisals this coming fiscal year, and the passage through both chambers of Senate Bill 474, which county officials said could exempt Buncombe only if the county adopts a revenue-neutral rate.

"The board has two choices," County Manager Avril Pinder said, describing Option 1 as adopting a revenue-neutral rate and using 2026 values and Option 2 as remaining subject to the moratorium and using 2021 values. Pinder said adopting a revenue-neutral rate, as defined in the new law, would mean a reduction tied to the county's adopted budget that she described as roughly $24,800,000 (she also referenced a rounded figure of about $24,000,000), equal to about 5% of the adopted general fund budget.

Pinder warned that such a reduction "would negatively impact the programs and level of service we provide our communities" and said the county would need to revisit tax rates for Asheville City Schools and the unified fire tax districts. She added that the county would also lose an estimated $1,800,000 in anticipated public service utility tax revenue, with municipalities in the county losing about $289,000 collectively.

Board Chair Amanda Edwards framed the issue as both procedural and substantive, saying Buncombe completed months of community engagement and an independent review of the reappraisal process. "This law is nothing but bad news for the people of Buncombe County," Edwards said, arguing the bills would force the use of outdated market values that, she said, studies show can disproportionately affect low- and moderate-income residents.

On operational questions from reporters, officials said no formal board decision had yet been made and that the Board of Commissioners will reconvene later this month to determine a path forward. Pinder said the county has already taken prior public utility revenue losses into account and does not currently expect to make additional budget reductions solely because of the $1.8 million shortfall, but she cautioned that staffing capacity for storm-recovery projects could be affected.

Pinder also noted that appeals filed after the revaluation will remain in the county's system and will not need to be filed again; those appeals would be finalized next year if the county delays the use of the 2026 values. Officials described two components to tax-billing: online availability (which could be posted sooner) and mailed bills (which require printing and could be delayed); they said mailed bills are more likely to be sent in September than August if the county must reset systems.

When asked whether contracts already signed by the county would be affected, officials replied that the county had held off signing many contracts while the situation remained in flux and that, as a result, there were no already-signed contracts that required retroactive changes, though some projects could be slowed.

County leaders urged residents to sign up for Buncombe County alerts at buncombready.org for updates and said the briefing was also being broadcast in Spanish. The Board of Commissioners' next regular meeting is set for July 21, when officials said the matter would be on the agenda for further public discussion.