From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville residents packed an Asheville City Council council meeting on Feb. 24, “voicing concerns about possible tax increases, service cuts and what the roughly $30 million projected gap” in the city's General Fund for the next fiscal year “could mean for the community,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported later on Feb. 24.

To that end, a continuing refrain from many of the speakers was “find other solutions” other than raising taxes and fees. And some offered solutions for resolving the budget gap. 

Regarding the city’s looming massive deficit, AI Overview stated on March 1, “Asheville’s projected $30 million budget gap for the 2026–2027 fiscal year (recently updated to $26.4 million as of February 2026) is primarily attributed to the exhaustion of “one-time fixes” used to balance the previous budget, rising operational costs and the financial after-effects of Hurricane Helene...

“City officials have stated that closing the gap will likely require a combination of property tax increases (estimated at a 5.8 percent rise), new fees and potential service reductions. Public hearings are ongoing, with the next major session scheduled for May 26...

“While it is one of the largest in modern times, it is not the largest in the city’s entire history. The historical record for financial crises in Asheville belongs to the Great Depression era, when the city held the highest per-capita debt in the country, leading to decades of financial stagnation,” AI Overview noted. 

Among those speaking at the hearing was former vice mayor and local business leader Chris Peterson, who, during a three-minute public comment period, accused council of deception in its handling of its projected collosal budget deficit.  

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Costco announced on Feb. 17 that it officially withdrew its application with the City of Asheville for a proposed massive Costco warehouse store at Enka Commerce Park in Candler. 

It would have been Western North Carolina’s first Costco.

In the aftermath, officials from the N.C.Department of Transportation and the City of Asheville have since reached back out to Costco in a quest to reopen discussions and find a compromise on these requirements. 

The company cited rising infrastructure costs and additional requirements from reviewing agencies as the reason for withdrawing from what Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) described in a Feb. 19 article as a “highly anticipated project.”

However, Costco pointed to what it termed increased costs for required off-site and on-site improvements — and a lengthening of the anticipated timeline. 

As a result, “the development is not moving forward at this time,” AI Overview noted on March 1.

Following is a statement from the withdrawal announcement letter by a project manager on behalf of Costco:

"Since submitting the application, additional requirements from reviewing agencies related to both on-site and off-site improvements have increased the project’s overall scope, timeline and anticipated costs. As a result, the applicant has elected to withdraw the current submittal from the review process at this time."

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — N.C. Department of Transportation officials “expressed shock after Costco withdrew its proposal for a new store in Asheville/Enka without discussing the required Traffic Impact Analysis or mitigation measures,” AI Overview reported March 1, citing a recent article appearing on the Asheville Watchdog website. 

After receiving $500,000-plus in traffic improvement recommendations, the developer withdrew, Asheville Watchdog pointed out, citing confirmation of the move by NCDOT Division 13 Engineer Tim Anderson. 

Key details regarding the situation include:

• No discussion: NCDOT stated that it received a request for a meeting on Feb. 13, but never had “any sort of discussion” on the TIA before the developer withdrew on Feb. 17.

• Traffic concerns: The TIA showed potential for dangerous, long-term queuing on the Interstate 40 exit ramp.

• Project withdrawal: The project developer cited increased costs, scope and timelines as reasons for withdrawing the application.

From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville will host global economic leaders next year “as part of the United States’ role in leading the G20,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Feb. 20.

Specifically, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Feb. 19 that the city will host two major meetings in late August and early September 2026, including a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “said Asheville was selected to highlight Western North Carolina’s resilience and recovery following Hurricane Helene,” News 13 noted.

What’s more, Bessent stated the following in a statement:

“I am proud to spotlight that the United States will host the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville, North Carolina. The selection of historic Asheville reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to the revitalization and resilience of Western North Carolina, which continues to rebuild after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene.”

News 13 added, “The G20 — a group of 19 countries and the European Union representing the world’s largest economies — meets regularly to coordinate on global financial stability, economic growth and international development policy.

From Staff Reports 

Daylight Saving Time will begin at 2 a.m. March 8, the second Sunday in March, as mandated by the federal Uniform Time Act. 

Clocks will be set forward one hour, making sunrise and sunset each an hour later. 

Most digital clocks on smartphones, TV, computers, may change on their own, requiring no extra help. Whereas your kitchen and your coffee pot may need manual adjustment.

Daylight Saving Time, often called daylight savings time, is when “daylight” begins an hour later in the morning and lasts an hour longer in the evening, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

DST will end at 2 a.m. Nov. 1, when clocks will be turned backward by one hour.