Buncombe County may shift six policy approvals to county manager

Buncombe County commissioners could stop voting publicly on six routine policies, including fleet standards and credit-card security rules, if staff’s proposal advances at this week’s briefing and board meeting at 200 College St.

County staff says 19 county policies currently require approval by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, but six of them could be shifted to the county manager instead. The change would move operational rules out of the board’s meeting room and into a faster administrative channel, while commissioners keep control over larger policy questions and overall direction.

The discussion is set for a June 2 briefing at 3 p.m. in the first-floor conference room, followed by a 5 p.m. board meeting. Commissioners are also slated to receive updates on employee pay, school funding recommendations, justice services and several other county policies.

Two of the policies named in the county’s public policy library are the Sustainable Fleet Policy and the PCI Compliance Policy. The fleet policy directs departments to procure sustainable vehicles and reduce energy use by right-sizing the fleet and using telematics technologies, all in service of lower greenhouse gas emissions. The PCI policy covers credit-card security, including employee training, encryption, monitoring and vendor oversight.

That distinction matters because the proposal would change which items appear for elected commissioners’ votes in public. Supporters are likely to view the shift as a way to keep the board focused on broader priorities, while critics may see less visibility for rules that still shape how county government operates day to day.

The proposal lands as Buncombe County continues to manage tight fiscal pressures tied to Tropical Storm Helene. The county’s FY26 budget, approved June 3, 2025, totaled $433.1 million in the general fund and set the tax rate at 54.66 cents per $100 of appraised value. County officials said that plan had to absorb an $11.4 million revenue loss after Helene, even as it allocated $121.8 million for Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools and A-B Tech Community College.

Buncombe County’s Environmental and Energy Stewardship Subcommittee is authorized to recommend county-wide environmental goals, work plans and progress tracking to commissioners, which helps explain why the fleet policy has traditionally sat close to the board’s policy agenda. The county’s policy index also shows how many internal rules are already tracked publicly, underscoring the broader question now in front of commissioners: which decisions need elected approval, and which can move to management without losing accountability.