Thanks for following the @avlblade.bsky.social coverage of tonight's #avlgov city council meeting. We are a collective made up entirely of working class trans people, and we depend on your support. Subscribe below. Or send us a one-time donation at paypal.me/AshevilleBlade Have a great night.

That's it for public comment, & Manheimer adjourns the meeting. While the direct rage was less than what we've seen during recent meetings, it's clear that #avlgov is feeling the heat for its destructive decisions. While it's not significantly changing outcomes (yet), it's a sign to keep pushing.

Onto general public comment. Trans commenter objecting to councilmembers who are up for reelection (without naming names) coming to community events for trans locals seeking handshakes and "photo ops." Trans locals feeling barraged when trying to get haircuts and massages #avlgov

Roney motions to approve the amended award plan anyway. Hess bringing up Mountain Housing's history of working with bad property management companies. Mountain Housing rep says that sometimes management companies make mistakes. Asks Hess to have constituents contact group. #avlgov

Roney expressing concerns about home repair funds being taken away to fund this. Now Turner bringing up the $1.5 million flood proofing for project. Mountain Housing rep bringing up the "up to" stipulation in the suggested motion so that #avlgov doesn't overfund project. Turner still hesitant.

Unusual to see an affordable housing project like this get brought back less than one month after getting rejected, but it is an election year after all. And #avlgov faces increasing public outrage.

Onto authorization of an additional award of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery multi-family housing funds to Mountain Housing Opportunities' South Creek Development /Terrace at River Hills. #avlgov

The pace at which we've moved through items post budget vote is proof that #avlgov can move quickly through items when they really want to. Manheimer did NOT see that split budget vote after lengthy deliberation coming.

Councilmembers are making a point of making sure that Homeward Bound is included in the action plan. Passes unanimously #avlgov

#avlgov bsky.app/profile/davi...

Onto 2026-2027 action plan for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) to receive HUD funding. Notable exclusion from action plan is funding for Homeward Bound #avlgov

Items such as funds for sports commission and economic development coalition that were pulled out for conflict of interest reasons both pass unanimously with eligible councilmembers voting. #avlgov

Thanks @davidforbes.bsky.social After a prolonged recess, #avlgov is back. First motion by Ullman is rescinded. Hess making a motion with retirement funds restored and BID funds used to pay cops (which is illegal). 14.5 percent tax hike. Passes 4-3 with Turner, Roney, and Mosley objecting.

City council nearly fractured over this and had to go into recess to hammer out a backroom deal, adding extra corruption to this already awful budget season. 4-3 budget votes are rare. They're scared. #avlgov #avlnews

Hey y’all — @matildabliss.bsky.social is doing some great work for the @avlblade.bsky.social. Check out this thread from today and give her a follow (and throw some money at The Blade, while you’re at it, please and thank you).

Using this break to hand things over to @matildabliss.bsky.social to cover the next portion of this Asheville city council meeting. #avlgov To support @avlblade.bsky.social and our live coverage, subscribe: patreon.com/AvlBlade Or donate: paypal.me/AshevilleBlade

This level of internal dissension's rare to see publicly in city hall. Thanks to the grassroots public outrage against this incredibly corrupt budget, you're seeing city council turn on each other over it, which is a welcome sight. #avlgov

Council fracturing over the budget. Turner and Mosley saying they wanted a more "austere" version with a much lower tax hike and way more service cuts. Manheimer calls a recess. #avlgov

Ullman: "Making hard decisions that are unpopular is part of leadership." Spoken like the gentry scum she is. "Hard decisions" that inevitably hurt the rest of us while she remains well-off and comfortable. #avlgov

Council now considering delaying payment on some of the city bond debt until next fiscal year. Takes the tax rate down to 13% (from 14%) and restores some community center hours. Freezing high-level staff raises (despite its earlier mention) and not hiring 24 more cops aren't on the table #avlgov

Questioned by other council members, Hess says that if community center hours and retirement contribution restored he'd support the budget. He and Smith going back and forth. She's "upset" that he's opposing the budget this late in the process. #avlgov

Council's getting cold feet due to unpopularity of budget. City attorney's warning them against not passing budget due to chaos it would cause in government operations (heaven forefend). #avlgov

After facing a lot of public outrage recently, including for enthusiastically supporting the surveillance expansion, Hess broaches freezing pay for top city officials. #avlgov

Turner doesn't know if she can support budget tonight due to high tax impact, especially when combined with increases in fees and other taxes from county and other governments. Hess also "really has trouble" supporting budget due to tax hikes. #avlgov

Manheimer praising budget, tax hikes "as low as they can be." They're nearly 15%. She brags about wealthy investors being happy with city hall's "stable financial situation" (i.e. gutting services and taxing locals more). #avlgov

Roney isn't supporting budget due to way it does compensation (heavily favoring higher-ups), cutting community center hours and worsening city affordability issues. Notably, she's running for mayor against Manheimer and got criticism for supporting last year's extractive budget. #avlgov

Smith "doesn't feel good" about changes (adding some of the police costs back to general fund, restoring city hall's retirement fund contribution) because they'll result in an even higher tax hike. #avlgov

Council member Sheneika Smith: "you can feel the effect on families" of Helene aftermath, but "hats off" to city manager for crafting the budget. #avlgov (The city manager's getting a $11,500 raise in the middle of a budget crisis).

Hess is engaging in his favorite hobby: waxing rhapsodic about how wonderful the Asheville Police Department is. City manager DK Wesley "feels confident" community centers won't lose any services, but gives no specifics #avlgov

Thanks, Matilda. Ullman (who's running for re-election) concerned about reduction in retirement contributions from city hall. Also against shifting a portion of APD funding to be covered by the BID sales tax. #avlgov

When locals warned that the BID was here to gentrify downtown by means of funding control and outright violence, they weren't exaggerating #avlgov

What's especially concerning is the high level city staff including the city manager getting an even higher raise than was planned before and the chamber of commerce's business improvement district gaining more control over cops and art funding. #avlgov

Onto revised budget presentation. They didn't listen to shit last meeting and still propose a budget that is less terrible in some ways, more terrible in other ways, and is overall just down right awful. bsky.app/profile/avlb... #avlgov

Manheimer and Turner will not be able to vote on Sports Commission funds since they are on those boards. Will vote on rest of budget. Manheimer going over potential state changes to state property tax law that may throw budget into some uncertain territory. #avlgov

Public comment opens. Kyle Turner wants to know more about contractor terms and conditions. Mayor Esther Manheimer says contracts are not being voted on tonight. Vote goes 5-2 with Councilmember Bo Hess and Mosley voting "no." #avlgov

Turner proposing "raising AMI" requirements since reduced cost parking program hasn't sold out yet. Roney retorting that many still don't know about the program #avlgov

Ullman relents. Turner: "It's been a long time, and we need the money." Councilmember Kim Roney confirming that the first hour in the parking garage is still free - it is - and that there is still a program to give reduced cost parking to workers. It is. #avlgov

Councilmember Maggie Ullman: "I'm just shocked that adding parking meters is going to take a year." Staff saying that they are waiting on Coxe Ave improvement project will need to be finished first. Suggests that they could install meters before it was finished and then take them out #avlgov

Changes include expansion of parking meters in the southslope area of downtown, increases in monthly permit fees in parking garages, and increases in "failure to pay" fees if one has to leave a parking garage without paying #avlgov

#Avlgov will vote on allocation of these relief funds at the next meeting. Onto revision of fees and charges in FY 26-27 budget to take into account changes to parking fees.

Public comment concluded. Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley asking about units served in plans vs units lost in Helene. Councilmember Sage Turner wants $1.5 million planned to floodproof one of the developments to be used to repair single family homes. #avlgov

Kyle Turner wants to make sure that recovery plan is "worthy of public trust." "Who pays when the contractor walks offsite?" Wants #avlgov to think through its tactics a little longer.

Commenter asking #avlgov to seek more state funds so that locals aren't left having to choose between home repairs and more affordable housing developments.

Thanks @davidforbes.bsky.social Vicki Meath asking #avlgov to oppose the amendment. Saying costs of investing in home repairs as opposed to affordable housing developments outweigh the benefits. "Prioritize the construction of truly affordable housing."

Next speaker supports shift of funds to home repairs, citing dire and immediate need of locals who had their homes destroyed. #avlgov

Next speaker citing Star Trek, saying city hall can help needs of many by not reallocating funds from housing development to home repair before more data is received. "Urge you to press pause." #avlgov

Public hearing's started. Susan Bean, Mountain True opposes the shift, because it takes funds from affordable (at least on paper) housing developments to fund the home repair program. Recent counts reveal those who lost homes to Helene still among the homeless. #avlgov

Council mem Maggie Ullman: "if you lived through this horrific thing, I want you do be taken care of." This is laughable. Ullman tried to make giving food to the poor illegal. She's repeatedly voted to crack down on the homeless (which include plenty of Helene survivors) #avlgov

Council member Kim Roney: given the scale of the damage, "$225 million was never enough" Manheimer: Currently trying to get more money from congress. #avlgov

If this home repair program wends its way through the city bureaucracy it'll be back before council next month for a final vote. Vice mayor Antanette Mosley asking how many multifamily units were lost during Helene and how many have been added since. The staffer doesn't know. #avlgov