In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners signed off on the county’s largest-ever budget. The $698 million spending plan for fiscal year 2026-27 — roughly 12% larger than the current budget — includes increases to each of the tax rates under the county’s control.
The new property tax rate will be 43.2 cents per $100 of assessed value, about 10% higher than revenue-neutral. The figure is slightly lower than County Manager Avril Pinder’s initial proposal of 43.52 cents per $100, thanks to revised tax collection projections, the use of additional savings and the removal of several proposed new positions. However, it still represents a substantially larger hike than the 5.6% increase approved last year.
Most residents outside of Asheville city limits will also pay more for fire services. Commissioners set the tax rate for Buncombe’s new unified fire district, which covers unincorporated areas along with Biltmore Forest, Montreat and Woodfin, at 11.96 cents per $100 —– around 30% higher than revenue-neutral. That rate is up from Pinder’s initial recommendation of 11.73 cents, but doesn’t reach the 14.37 cents the county’s fire chiefs had requested…