Buncombe County -- October 7, 2026: Buncombe County Commissioners pulled a proposed $290,000 appropriation for the Sheriff’s Office from their agenda; commissioners did not say why., following significant public privacy concerns and pushback from advocacy groups. The procedural decision, made as community objections were raised in early October 2026, highlights what proponents say is growing public scrutiny surrounding county spending on surveillance technology..
The request, scheduled for the commission’s October 2026 agenda, sought to appropriate $290,000 from the Sheriff’s Office forfeiture fund. It was intended for an FY2027 FUSUS/Axon contract and a “Camera Project at IGrant.” However, critics pointed out that the agenda materials lacked sufficient detail regarding what the money would purchase, how the systems were being used, or what privacy safeguards were in place.
Advocacy groups, including the Government Accountability Project of Asheville, along with local cybersecurity professional Kimberly Kent, urged commissioners to halt the vote. Their central concern was the lack of transparency surrounding the scope and operation of the county’s Axon/FUSUS surveillance infrastructure. They sought clarification on what the $290,000 would buy, whether it represented an expansion or renewal, how data sources are connected, who can access information, retention periods, data sharing with other agencies, and applicable oversight and privacy protections.
FUSUS, now owned by Axon, is described as a real-time intelligence platform capable of combining various data sources, including public and private cameras, body-worn cameras, license-plate readers, and drones. Critics emphasized that the primary concern is not individual cameras but the aggregation of data across a broad network. A local surveillance-monitoring group has estimated Buncombe County's system involves approximately 1,800 to 2,000 cameras, including about 1,500 within county schools, along with license-plate readers.
The county has been developing its real-time surveillance capabilities for several years. In January 2024, commissioners approved funding for a downtown initiative that included expanded video surveillance, with local business owners asked to install cameras linked to the Sheriff’s Office’s Real Time Intelligence Center. Asheville has also previously paid the county for access to its FUSUS system.
The commissioners' decision to pull the item does not necessarily terminate the contract or dismantle the existing surveillance network, but delays or withholds approval of this specific $290,000 budget amendment without a formal vote. This procedural move leaves open the possibility that the funding request could return on a future agenda with additional documentation or revised terms.
Surveillance technology and privacy concerns in Buncombe County. AI-generated illustration; does not depict a verified camera installation.