Conservation Board Preps for $30M Bond Vote as Tax Worries Mount

Buncombe County's Land Conservation Advisory Board spent most of its Sept. 16, 2026, meeting on November's ballot, not on board business. Staff briefed members on a $30M open space bond and a $40M housing bond. Members, some active in bond outreach, heard in turn that rising property tax bills are shaping early public opinion.

• $30M open space bond would cost the median homeowner $18 a year. A separate $40M housing bond would cost $25 a year.
• The 2022 bond has funded 30 projects, conserved more than 2,500 acres and leveraged $46.3M in outside money.
• Members report tax-driven skepticism in Swannanoa and in WLOS poll comments.
• The county won't redraw conservation focus maps after Helene, though floodplain projects remain a priority.
• Commissioners approved four Newfound farm easements and a $2M bond match for a state farmland grant.
• FEMA buyout land, hundreds of acres, is "high on the list" for new bond dollars.

Why it matters: The 2022 housing bond is fully allocated, so more general obligation housing money depends on passage. Open space dollars would back the county's conservation and greenway goals.