Buncombe County Recommended FY25 Budget

Buncombe County -- May 22, 2024: Buncombe County Government: Amid cooling sales tax revenues, continued elevated

prices for goods and services, and a high cost of living, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder presented the County's FY25 budget to Commissioners at their May 21 meeting. The FY25 budget across all annual funds is recommended at $628 million. The General Fund, the largest annual fund recommended at $441.9 million, includes:

$126 million for education
$95 million for public safety
$96 million for human services

The recommended budget includes a 4.89% cost of living adjustment for County employees based on a two-year average annual change in the Consumer Price Index - Urban Wage Earners & Clerical Workers. The recommended budget includes 30 new positions in the General Fund and three new positions in the Solid Waste Enterprise Fund. 
Figuring a 1% increase in expenditures, the recommended budget includes a $3.9 million operating reduction for County departments from the FY24 amended budget and draws on $10 million in savings utilizing personnel strategies. 
The budget is balanced with an appropriation of $11.7 million of unrestricted fund balance and recommends a property tax rate of 52.35 cents, an increase of 2.55 above the current rate, generating $13.6 million in additional revenue. Of that increase, 1.8 cents is for County operations and .75 cents will fund an increase to the local current expense for public K-12 schools. This increase on a home assessed at $350,000 would be an additional $89.25 in annual property taxes.
"The FY25 budget contains many financial challenges," said Pinder. "Hard decisions had to be made, and austere cuts were required. We believe this budget is as fiscally responsible as possible."
Of note, the FY25 recommended budget amounts for annual funds include: 
General Fund budget of $441,905,358
Occupancy Tax Special Revenue Fund budget of $40,000,000
911 Special Revenue Fund budget of $927,067
Opioid Settlement Fund budget of $3,314,860
Insurance and Benefits Fund budget of $45,222,516
To view the full budget presentation, click here or go to www.buncombecounty.org/budget. 

Budget Department - Buncombe County | Asheville, NC
The Buncombe County Budget Department works closely with the County Manager in developing and administering the countywide budget, performing program evaluations, and managing the County’s risk management function.
www.buncombecounty.org