Buncombe County weighs 15 percent budget increase amid rising costs

Buncombe County’s next budget could put more pressure on property owners before a tax rate is even set. Staff have outlined a first-pass fiscal 2027 plan topping $504 million in the general fund, about 15 percent above the current $438.1 million budget, as the county braces for higher personnel costs, health-care spending, capital needs and state mandates that continue to land on local taxpayers.

That larger budget sits on top of a countywide reappraisal that is already reshaping what residents see on their tax bills. County staff said the 2026 reappraisal was required by state law and that the last values were five years old. Estimated real property value for fiscal 2027 has climbed to $68.6 billion from $45.6 billion, while total estimated property-tax value has risen to $76.8 billion from $53.6 billion. The county said 92 percent of its tax base is residential, with commercial property making up about 25 percent of total value because of hotels and apartments.

For homeowners, the final bill will depend on where commissioners land when they adopt the rate. The current rate is 54.66 cents per $100 of assessed value, while staff have estimated a revenue-neutral rate for fiscal 2027 at 39.22 cents before growth and collection assumptions. The county’s last budget, adopted June 3, 2025, totaled $433,096,618 and included a 3.26-cent property-tax increase that officials said would generate about $17.1 million and add roughly $114 a year to a home valued at $350,000.

The new spending plan is not driven by one item alone. County staff have tied about $7.1 million in interfund transfers to community investments and long-term obligations, along with $2.3 million restored for affordable housing funding, $500,000 more for conservation easements, an $80,000 increase for early childhood education and $434,000 to keep transportation services running. Another $3.1 million is tied to a state tourism development authority grant for the Anchor Recreation Destination sports-field project, and nearly $850,000 is set aside for the accelerated property-reappraisal cycle.

Health and human services would get one of the largest bumps, at $6.1 million. That would add five positions, including social workers for foster care and adult services, two environmental health specialists and a public health nurse previously funded through grants. The proposal also includes $311,000 for a state-mandated in-home assistance program, $221,000 for animal shelter services and $82,000 for emergency foster care placements.

Education will remain the county’s largest single spending category at 29 percent of the budget, followed by public safety at 23 percent and human services at 22 percent. Commissioners are also weighing about $11.1 million in additional education funding under a new local formula tied to property and sales tax revenue, which would bring total K-12 support to roughly $128.3 million. Asheville City Schools said on April 17 that students’ standard of education could be at risk if commissioners do not approve its supplemental tax request.

The county is set to hear a budget recommendation on May 5, hold a public hearing on May 19 and take final action June 2. Those meetings will determine how much of the increase is unavoidable, how much is discretionary and how much of the bill Buncombe County residents will ultimately carry.