WLOS: Asheville faces multi-million budget shortfall; cuts to services to come

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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WLOSer Courtney Brennan, standing in the cold outside Asheville City Hall on Tuesday night, said that the city got a stark financial briefing from its chief financial officer. The sour national economy has translated into lower sales tax collections and a slower growth in the city’s tax base.

That means an immediate $1 million budget shortfall, and a $5 million shortfall for next year’s budget, Brennan said. If some quick cuts are factored in, the city still faces a $3 million budget shortfall, Brennan said, which means council will have to find even deeper cuts that will affect city services.

I’m also assuming that the possibility of a property tax increase could loom.

But how will City Council make these cuts? What projects will be put off? What fees will rise? What services might be cut? Scrutiny Hooligans asks the same questions, and provides a link to the current city budget.