Buncombe County Hosts Public Session on Unified Fire District Tax Proposal

Buncombe County is holding a public information session today to explain a proposal to move from multiple unincorporated-area fire tax districts toward a single unified fire district tax rate for unincorporated areas. County officials scheduled the session to walk residents through the mechanics of consolidating fire tax districts and to solicit questions from people who live outside municipal boundaries.

The session is taking place on February 26, 2026, as part of the county’s outreach around changes to how fire protection funding is collected in unincorporated areas. The stated purpose of the meeting is to explain the proposal and gather resident questions that can inform the county’s next steps on the unified tax-rate concept.

At present Buncombe County maintains multiple distinct fire tax districts that apply to different unincorporated neighborhoods and service areas; the proposal under discussion would replace that patchwork with a single fire district tax rate applied across unincorporated areas. County materials circulating ahead of the session describe the change as a shift from multiple district rates to a unified rate, and the meeting is meant to clarify what that shift would mean for billing, district boundaries, and taxpayer notification.

County staff emphasized scheduling the session to solicit resident questions rather than to finalize policy, framing the February 26 meeting as an information and feedback opportunity. The session agenda focuses on explaining the unified-rate proposal and answering questions from property owners, renters, and other stakeholders in unincorporated parts of Buncombe County.

Feedback gathered at today’s public information session will be used by Buncombe County to refine the unified fire district tax proposal and determine further public engagement or formal steps. Residents in unincorporated areas who want to follow the county’s process should look for subsequent announcements from Buncombe County about next meetings and any formal proposals stemming from the questions raised at the February 26 session.