Local Politics · Asheville, NC
Asheville City Council faces a projected "even more challenging" budget year due to inflation and slowed revenue growth, according to an Oct. 13 memo from City Manager D.K. Wesley. Six candidates are competing for three Council seats, proposing solutions ranging from spending cuts to new taxes including transit funding and food-and-beverage levies. The city and county have raised combined property tax rates by 23.22 cents per $100 of assessed value since 2023, adding roughly $813 annually for a $350,000 home. A proposed state amendment on this year's ballot would limit property tax increases, which local officials say could complicate budget balancing.
Crime · Buncombe County
The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office charged Tyquan Jahlil Ward, 28, and Keith Harold Mooney Jr., 18, with first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon following the deaths of Joshua Sanchez Ramirez, 19, and Darion Armon Smith, 27. Deputies responded to a gunshot wound report at Pine Needle Apartments in Arden, N.C., around 12:24 a.m. on Oct. 24 and found both victims dead from gunshot wounds in the parking lot. Ward was taken into custody Thursday and is held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility; Mooney was apprehended Friday in Atlanta, Georgia. Court documents allege Ward attempted to steal drugs and cash from one victim while threatening him with a handgun, though no motive has been confirmed by authorities. Ward requested a public defender during his first court appearance and is expected back in court Nov. 12.
Local Politics · Buncombe County
While 16 states plan to increase their minimum wage next year, North Carolina advocates are pushing for similar changes despite failed legislative efforts. State Representative Eric Ager confirmed that bills proposing a $15 minimum wage died in the rules committee. Nonprofit Just Economics of Western North Carolina reports the living wage in Buncombe County is currently $24.10 an hour. Economists note potential trade-offs, such as increased costs or reduced hours, if wages rise significantly.
Community brief · Asheville, NC
A former Gold's Gym location on Patton Avenue in Asheville, N.C., is being converted into an O'Reilly Auto Parts store with a targeted opening date of mid-January 2027. The property is owned by Pulliam Properties, confirmed by Rusty Pulliam. The Patton Avenue gym closed in April, leaving the Fairview Road location as the sole Gold's Gym operating in Asheville after the Hendersonville Road branch closed in 2024.
