Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman said many services will be cut from the budget to make up for a loss of sales tax. | Courtesy Photo
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman said many services will be cut from the budget to make up for a loss of sales tax. | Courtesy Photo
Buncombe County officials may cut millions of dollars from planned services to account for taxes lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The County Board of Commissioners projected a $7 million loss in sales tax over the next 15 months in the county, according to a Citizen Times report on April 11. With such a large loss in sales tax, many county projects and services could be cut from the budget.
"I think this goes without saying this will be the most challenging budget that any of us have ever faced," board Chair Brownie Newman told the publication.
The commissioners proposed making cuts to 16 new emergency services positions, buses and paratransit, new conservation easements, three new school resource officers, six new elementary and intermediate school playgrounds, expanded detention center visitation and new solar panels, Citizen Times reported.
Commissioners are working to not cut all of these items out of the budget, but many of the initiatives will have to be axed or postponed to make up for the loss in sale tax, according to the Citizen Times.
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