Tax Collections is heading into our busiest time of the year. Hate waiting in line? Don’t want to brave the impending cold weather? If so, it’s probably best to go ahead and pay your Buncombe County property taxes. Tax bills become delinquent after Jan. 5, and we encourage everyone to take advantage of the multiple ways to pay other than waiting in line at the Tax Department.

Avoid interest on your bill
Please be aware, state law mandates that interest will be added to your bill if it is not paid in full and payment is not postmarked or received by Jan. 5. If you cut it close to that date, your mail drop or carrier might not get you the Jan. 5 postmark, or your bank might not clear your online banking payment to us by Jan. 5. Help avoid that situation by planning ahead and using one of the below payment options well before the Jan. 5 deadline.

Need to set up a payment plan? Don’t wait. Call us at (828) 250-4910 as soon as possible.

1) Pay by mail
Use the convenient self-addressed envelope included in your bill, or mail your check or money order to:

Buncombe County Tax Collections
P.O. Box 3140
Asheville, NC 28802-3140

Please do not send cash via mail. Remember that payments must be received or postmarked by Jan. 5, 2022, to avoid a 2% interest fee. Payments mailed to the incorrect address may not be received and interest may accrue.

* If you have misplaced your tax bill or need a receipt, they can be printed online by visiting tax.buncombecounty.org.

2) Make an electronic payment online
You can use the online bill pay found at buncombecounty.org/paytaxes. This is the best way to avoid long lines as you can pay from home, a local library, or anywhere else you have a secure internet connection. No fees are added for electronic check payments, fees are added for credit/debit card transactions.

3) Use a drop box
Place your check or money order in one of our drop boxes:

• In front of the Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin St., in downtown Asheville
• At the main entrance of the Tax Department at 94 Coxe Ave., in downtown Asheville

4) Pay by credit card over the phone
Have your bill handy and call 1-877-690-3729 (enter jurisdiction code 4301 and follow the instructions).

Note: when you pay by a credit card over the phone, there is a convenience fee of $3.95 for a Visa Debit payment, or a 2.35% fee with a credit or non-Visa debit card payment. There is no fee associated with an electronic check.

Still want to pay in person?
We understand that some people will still want to come in to see us, and there are a couple of reminders we want to share. Please visit before mid-December to avoid significant wait times. We have made changes to our lobby to accommodate for social distancing, but that means fewer people can wait inside. In-person payment lines are expected to stretch outside the building as we approach the last day to pay before interest is applied.

Winter weather is unpredictable in Buncombe County and as we approach December, weather closures may affect your ability to pay your taxes in person. Your tax bill will become delinquent after Jan. 5, and interest added to a bill, due to late payment, cannot be waived due to inclement weather.

Holiday schedule
The Tax Collections office will be closed for the holidays on Dec. 23-27 and on Monday, Jan. 2.

Payment plans
If you think you are going to be unable to pay your taxes, please let us know at (828) 250-4910 as soon as possible so our office can work with you to set up a payment plan or arrangements.

To say that a lot happened between July 2021 and June 2022 would be a drastic understatement. Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) remained a key participant in the COVID-19 response effort while continuing to set the standard for excellence in Public Health, Social Work, Economic Services, and Veterans Services.

Stacey Wood, Director of Communications at BCHHS comments, “Reflecting on BCHHS’ many FY22 accomplishments and capturing them in this year’s Annual Report reminded us of how fortunate we are to work alongside exceptional public servants who take pride in their jobs everyday. This report is a high-level glimpse at the very deep work happening in our agency.”

Some of the highlights for FY22 include:

• The efforts of social work staff as they convened a Racial Equity Data Workgroup in partnership with the BCHHS Quality Assurance team and the IT Department- where they worked to build reports that capture demographic and race-identifying information from the point of Intake through Adoptions- to allow us to assess and address disparities throughout our continuum of services.
• Economic Services had another big year and expanded their staff along with the Finance Team to issue over 15 million dollars in Emergency Rental Assistance in FY22.
• The narrative on the waves of COVID-19 response tells the story of expansion and contraction in the response effort. We also touch on the Mobile Health Outreach Team developments in FY22.

This year’s report is exciting because we get to express more about how the Agency continues to implement specific and broad strategies to improve the experience of the people that we serve. These shifts can be rather nuanced but they create layers of opportunities for staff and clients to learn more and grow together.

Click here to read the FY22 Annual report

From 11/15 – 12/31, we’re offering a Holiday Special on our subscriptions! Get tickets at a discounted price, AND get a free ticket voucher for our next play, Native Gardens! Check our website on 11/15 to purchase this limited-time deal!

Decorating Your Windows for the Holiday Season? Join the Holiday Windows Walking Tour. Plus Share Holiday Happenings Downtown businesses: Are you decorating your windows for the Holiday Season? Be sure to let us know and we will include you on our Holiday Windows Walking Tour. This is a self-guided tour for people to follow as the stroll Downtown Asheville throughout the holidays. Also, are you have a holiday sale, event or promotion? We’re happy to share through our social media, newsletters and press releases.

• Donate $25+ and get a day pass to the WNC Nature Center.
• Donate $50+ and get an animal sticker and a day pass.
• Donate $100+ and get an animal tracks necklace, animal sticker, and a day pass.
• Donate $250+ and get a a guided tour of the Nature Center with animal enrichment for two people, plus the necklace, sticker, and day pass. PLUS, you’ll be entered to win a chance to go on habitat with red pandas Leafa and Phoenix in 2023!

the City of Hendersonville will begin their fall bulk leaf collection service for City residents. Bulk leaf collection will continue throughout the fall season and conclude on December 30.

During bulk leaf collection, City residents should pile loose leaves as close to the street, curb, or sidewalk as possible without placing the leaves in the roadway or on the sidewalk. Leaves should not be bagged by City of Hendersonville residents.

Residents can help prevent safety hazards by keeping leaf piles out of the sidewalks. Obstructed sidewalks may force people to walk into the street and pose a danger for pedestrians and motorists. Keeping leaf piles out of the roadways and sidewalks also helps prevent debris from being washed into the storm drains which can cause flooding.

The bulk leaf collection process is separate from brush collection crews; therefore, residents will need to keep their brush and leaves in separate piles until bulk leaf collection has concluded at the end of the year. Leaf piles should be free of tree limbs or other objects that may damage collection equipment. Spring bulk leaf collection typically occurs during the month of March.

It is not necessary for the public to contact Public Works with leaf pick-up requests as this service is automatically provided to City residents. Leaf piles are picked up from homes every ten to fourteen days but, depending on the volume of leaves placed out for collection, the piles could be picked up sooner or later than that time frame.

• Help Us Meet the Need This Holiday Season Round Up Campaigns & Community Events

  We are so grateful to all of our partners who are helping us during this critical time by providing various ways for people to get involved and help provide meals for neighbors this holiday season. Read through the list below to find out ways you can get involved.

• Food Lions Feeds (11/9 – 12/12): Food Lion stores will be hosting Food Lion Feeds, which is an in-store food drive program where customers have the opportunity to purchase and donate a Food Lion Feeds for the Holidays box of food that will be donated to MANNA FoodBank.

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

TAPAAS is an arts-integration program that implements high quality artist residencies to create craft and performance experiences across all curriculum. Since 2010, TAPAAS has impacted more than 9,000 students, trained over 55 artists, and provided more than 850 days of artists in residence. Teachers report that 94% of TAPAAS residencies scored as ‘excellent’ in student enthusiasm and participation; student understanding of the curriculum was deeper when taught as a creative project, and there was increased parent engagement in the classroom. Now in its 11th year, TAPAAS has maintained the ability to be a cost-effective, far-reaching program with a profound impact on both individual artists and students in our community. In 2021, Asheville Area Arts Council partnered with the Asheville City Schools Foundation and the Buncombe County School District to expand programming into Buncombe County Schools– increasing the depth and breadth of this program.

View the Fall 2022 Catalog