# Board of Commissioners Meeting

**Body:** Buncombe County Government — Buncombe County Board of Commissioners
**Date:** September 1, 2026 5:00 PM EDT (2026-09-01T17:00:00-04:00)
**Location:** Commission Chambers, 3rd Floor, 200 College St, Asheville, NC, 28801

**Link:** https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939

## Summary

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will meet on September 1st, addressing a wide range of county matters impacting residents. Key discussions will center around healthcare benefits for county employees, including a change in pharmacy benefit management expected to save $1.43 million annually and adjustments to medical premiums and coverage for weight loss drugs. The Board will also consider authorizing grant applications totaling $3.2 million to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, focusing on rebuilding parks, infrastructure for affordable housing, and resilience at county facilities.

A major decision expected is the final approval of a rezoning proposal, though concerns about building in flood areas were previously raised. The Board will also formally accept a $37 million grant for the WNC Future Factories, a workforce training and innovation center. Residents may be interested in learning more about the proposed changes to healthcare benefits, as well as updates on recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. The meeting includes a consent agenda with routine approvals, and the full agenda is available for review on the county website.

Finally, the Board will continue discussions regarding funding and administration of the General Assistance Program, which provides financial aid to residents. They will also be considering budget amendments related to hazard mitigation and carryforward of funds from the previous fiscal year. The meeting will conclude with a closed session, following standard procedures for confidential discussions.

## Votes

- Mountain Area Workforce Development Board - Commissioner Whitesides made the motion to reappoint Eric Watts, Tara McCracken, Michael Horvath, John Gossett. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sloan and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Commissioner Horton made the motion to approve the Consent agenda and agenda as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Moore and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Commissioner Horton made the motion to support the Health Insurance Plan as presented by Staff. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sloan and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Commissioner Wells made the motion to approve the resolution and authorize staff to submit proposed applications for the Community Infrastructure CDBG-DR Helene Recovery Grant program. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sloan and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Vice-Chair Moore made the motion to recuse Chair Edwards from the vote in the interest of avoiding any appearance of conflict of interest due to employment purposes and/or fiduciary potential gain. Commissioner Whitesides seconded the motion, and it was carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Commissioner Wells made the motion to authorize the County Manager to accept the grant award and execute all necessary agreements to implement the project. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Ball and carried 6-0 with Chair Edwards recused from voting. — Passed, 6-0
- Commissioner Horton made the motion to approve the budget amendment. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Wells and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Commissioner Sloan made the motion to approve the budget amendments. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Horton and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care - Commissioner Sloan made the motion to appoint Commissioner Ball to replace Commissioner Horton. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Whitesides and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0
- Juvenile Crime Prevention Council - Commissioner Sloan made the motion to appoint Commissioner Horton to replace Commissioner Ball. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Whitesides and carried unanimously. — Passed, 7-0

## Documents

- [agenda_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12853)
- [agenda_packet_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12634)
- [agenda_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12633)
- [agenda_packet_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12723)
- [agenda_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12722)
- [agenda_packet_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=12854)
- [minutes_2026-09-01.pdf](https://sunshinemeetings.org/event/2939?document=13354)

## Sources

- [CivicClerk](https://buncombeconc.portal.civicclerk.com/#!/events/3612)