Black Mountain Budget Talks Continue: Planning, Golf, Stormwater, More

Black Mountain Budget Talks Continue: Planning, Golf, Stormwater, More

Black Mountain continued budget talks for the next fiscal year at a workshop session on April 11. Town Manager Josh Harrold led Town Council through the final departments: Planning and development, stormwater, golf pro shop, golf operations, water finance, and water operations.

Planning Department

Salaries in the planning department are down more than $11,000 due to the current planning director transitioning to the new full-time assistant town manager role. A new planning director needs to be hired, leading to a decrease in the budget for salaries. Professional and technical services also saw a decrease of $93,500, resulting in a total decrease of $141,000. Capital outlay for the planning department is increasing by $50,000 to contribute to the town’s match for the Ninth Street bridge replacement project.

Stormwater Department

The stormwater department is requesting a nearly $40,000 increase in salaries to allocate for the assistant town manager position to continue working in the department. Despite a decrease in contract services, the department is aiming to enhance community outreach related to stormwater with a $8,000 budget request.

Golf Pro Shop

The golf pro shop department saw an increase in credit card processing fees due to more patrons opting to pay with credit cards. Additionally, funds are requested for repairs at the Green Tee Grille, tree work, and a bridge replacement at the golf course. The department’s budget increased by over $40,000 from the previous year.

Golf Operations

On the operations side of the golf course, there is a request for a more than $32,000 increase in salaries, partially to allocate for an administration position. Capital outlay items include tree work and bridge replacement, contributing to an overall budget increase of over $130,000.

Water Finance Department

The water finance department is seeking a $105,000 increase in salaries due to staffing changes and a rise in credit card processing fees. Other notable changes include a decrease in software licensing fees and an increase in postage costs, resulting in an overall budget increase of nearly $135,000.

Water Operations Department

The water operations department is asking for a significant increase in salaries and an increase in the purchase cost of water from the city of Asheville. Asheville’s 30% fee hike for wholesale customers over the next three years is a contributing factor to the budget increase of over $640,000.

Upcoming Budget Workshop

The next budget workshop is scheduled for April 18 at 8:30 a.m. in Town Hall, where discussions will focus on the town’s revenues. The budget talks aim to allocate funds efficiently across various departments to meet the needs of the Black Mountain community.