ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Residents and city employees delivered pointed and emotional testimony Tuesday night as Asheville City Council held a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget, with much of the debate centered on pay for city workers, property tax increases and access to community recreation programs.
Speakers urged council to do more to raise wages for lower-paid employees and address what they described as growing affordability pressures in the city. Several said the proposed 2.8 percent cost-of-living increase for permanent staff does not go far enough, particularly for workers near the city’s lower pay grades.
Some also argued that percentage-based raises widen income gaps by delivering larger dollar increases to higher-paid employees. Others urged council to raise the city’s minimum pay floor to at least $20 per hour and extend adjustments to temporary and seasonal workers who said they often work full-time hours without full benefits…