Black Mountain firefighters warn budget cuts threaten staffing, equipment

Black Mountain firefighters warned that a funding shortfall could reach residents through slower hiring, weaker retention, delayed equipment replacement and stalled capital projects, all of which could affect emergency response in a mountain town where minutes matter. The town’s fire department remained fully staffed, but union leaders said that status could slip if pay and funding did not improve.

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 5246 said Black Mountain still ranked as the lowest-paid fire department in Buncombe County, a gap it argued made recruiting harder and increased the chance that experienced firefighters would leave for better pay and more stable resources elsewhere. Cameron Bradley, the local’s president, said the department was fully staffed but warned that could change by summer if the funding picture did not improve.

The concern extended beyond salaries. Firefighters said the department needed dependable money for radios, protective gear, apparatus and longer-term projects that keep a small department modern and safe. Black Mountain serves the town and the surrounding foothills, where wildfire, wrecks and medical calls can escalate quickly and strain a small crew.

The warning landed as Buncombe County overhauled fire funding countywide. Commissioners approved a unified fire tax resolution on April 21, 2026, and the county said in its fiscal year 2027 budget, approved June 2, that the county’s 20 fire tax districts had been consolidated into a single Buncombe County Fire District. The unified fire tax rate was set at 11.96 cents per $100 of assessed value, and county officials said investment in fire service would rise by $14 million.

County leaders have said the new district is intended to distribute resources more evenly and support future growth. The county also said property-tax bills are typically consolidated and mailed in August, meaning residents will soon see the new structure reflected in their bills.

For Black Mountain, the fight comes on top of other public-safety pressures. The town’s fire and police departments were forced to leave the public safety building they had used for decades after structural concerns were found, adding another layer of strain to station planning and capital needs. The fire department marked 100 years of service in 2022, and Local 5246 represented 14 members when it was announced that year.

The dispute also echoed a wider county pattern. Weaverville firefighters received an 18% pay increase in a prior budget, a move that pushed that department into the middle of Buncombe County’s compensation range. In Asheville, firefighters have also raised retention concerns tied to pay. For Black Mountain, the stakes are immediate: whether the town can keep enough trained firefighters, replace aging equipment on time and protect response times before the staffing gap becomes visible.