City Council Meeting – July 15, 2026

The City Council of Asheville held a special meeting on July 15, 2026, primarily to address a significant budget issue caused by recent North Carolina state legislation. The state mandated that local governments use 2025 property tax values instead of the newly revalued 2026 values, which the city had originally used to adopt its balanced fiscal year 2026-27 budget. This legislative change, coupled with Buncombe County's decision not to adopt a revenue-neutral tax rate exception, resulted in a revenue shortfall for the city. To comply with state law and rebalance the budget, the council considered and approved an amendment to increase the city’s property tax rate from 37.69¢ to 50.78¢ per $100 of assessed valuation, maintaining the originally projected revenue of approximately $106 million. The council also adjusted the tax rate for the Downtown Asheville Business Improvement District from 7.63¢ to 8.77¢. The meeting included detailed presentations from the city attorney and finance director explaining the legislative context, financial impacts, and rationale for the tax rate adjustment. The council voted 4-2 in favor of the tax rate amendment, with some members expressing frustration over the state legislature's intervention and its impact on local budgeting and taxpayers. The meeting concluded with a motion to enter closed session for confidential personnel matters.