County cuts spending to cover budget shortfall [Video]

Buncombe County is cutting its spending as it deals with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall caused by the ongoing effects of Tropical Storm Helene.County officials said Thursday the county’s revenues could be under budget between $15.1 million and $25.7 million for this fiscal year, according to their projections.”We have known for the last few months that we were facing challenges,” said Amanda Edwards, the chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. “We knew property tax collections were going to be down, and we knew that visitors were not coming to visit us in droves like they normally do.”Officials said the county is looking to cut its spending by 4%.County management has implemented a hiring freeze with 89 current vacancies. Officials said the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office is freezing the hiring of non-certified employees.A full list of cuts can be found in the county’s presentation.County leaders said more than 9,200 homes …