Buncombe County posted another useless agenda online. The contents of manager’s reports are never known until fifteen minutes before meeting time. There were no reports this time.
A business item was the consideration of a resolution to direct Buncombe County Election Services to move forward with putting a referendum on the next ballot for a quarter-cent sales tax increase. No materials were provided with the published agenda. Commissioners were handed out copies of the resolution and a cash-flow spreadsheet for the $129 million in increased revenues. Funds would go mostly toward capital improvements at AB Tech. Those present all loved AB Tech, but the dais was a line of demarcation between those who thought the timing was right and those who thought it wasn’t. Citizen activist Don Yelton suggested more people might have shown up to the meeting if they knew what the commissioners were going to be approving.
Eric Gorny told what a quarter-cent sales tax would mean to the construction industry. He knew a cabinet maker that paid $54,000 in sales tax last year. Gorny used to lay tile. A quarter-cent tax increase could be the difference between a family deciding to proceed with a $3000 bathroom renovation or not.
Mike Fryar complained about the costs of opening extra precincts, printing ballots, and advertising. On the matter of advertising, somebody said those who opposed the vote would have to pay extra. The commissioners could use their fame to get editorial space in the local daily, and they could use tax dollars to advertise. Opponents would have to pay standard rates on top of their tax contributions to the opposition.
County staff swore there was no malicious intent behind not posting the materials a priori. Once the matter had been approved, County Clerk Kathy Hughes offered to make things right by posting the materials post hoc.
A second citizen gripe pertained to the opaque consent agenda. The county publishes dollar amounts with line items that make Twitter look verbose. Prior to the meeting, Yelton asked the commissioners something like (paraphrasing for lack of memory), “What is this $1.6 million for public safety projects?” It would be difficult to be more specific. He was told the money had been transferred out of the 911 fund balance toward capital improvement projects, but the state 911 board informed the county 911 funds had to stay in the 911 fund, so the money was transferred back. Yelton thought the commissioners should let the public know, but the commissioners disagreed.
Not only are the consent agenda items on the verge of being nondescript, they usually pertain to items that are signed, sealed, and delivered. The commissioners only rubber-stamp them after-the-fact. By way of contrast, the public has access to staff reports explaining budget amendments prior to Asheville City Council meetings. Citizens have an opportunity to share peculiar knowledge or catch errors, and representatives on council have the ability to yank items for further study or rejection. In defense, Chair David Gantt attacked a straw man, saying the commissioners received no more information than the public. If the strategy didn’t backfire, it should have.
The icing on the cake was the commissioners’ decision to once again change the time of their next meeting to coincide with the meeting of Asheville City Council.
