The June 5 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will feature a public hearing on the $337.7 million budget proposal for the 2012-13 fiscal year, which starts July 1.
The plan avoids any property-tax increases, relying instead on $8.3 million in reserve funds and projected economic growth to cover a 1-percent increase in spending over the current fiscal year.
The county’s property-tax rate has been set at 52.5 cents per $100 valuation since 2006, when it was cut from 53 cents. Unlike last year, when the county cut costs by eliminating 93 staff positions, this year’s proposal calls for no major staff reductions.
However, changes to the county’s personnel policies could be in the works. At the board’s last meeting, Commissioner Holly Jones indicated that she’s considering making a motion to amend the budget on June 5 to include cuts to commissioners’ own salaries. She’s also considering proposals to cut and streamline employee longevity bonuses as well as reduce the amount of time new employees must wait to receive health insurance benefits to 30 days.
In other business, the board will consider a request from Waste Pro to allow it to raise garbage-pickup rates by 8 percent. The company contracts with the county to provide pickup services in unincorporated areas of Buncombe; the change would increase the basic monthly rate it charges from $14.20 to $15.34. Officials from the company told commissioners at their last meeting that they’re requesting the increase to offset the rising price of fuel, as well as higher labor and landfill costs.
The board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 5, in the commissioner’s chambers, located at 30 Valley St. A short pre-meeting review of the agenda will begin at 4:15 p.m.
Goodness, why don’t all the other commissioners just take a powder? It seems that Holly Jones has this whole Board of Commissioners thing covered. She can just let everyone else know what she has decided.