ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The City of Asheville is considering increasing fees for several services, including water, solid waste and parking. Residents say the increases could add to financial pressures they are already facing.
“All of these rising costs are making it harder and harder to stay in Asheville for a lot of people,” Rebecca Hecht, owner of Shining Rock Goods, said.
“Our water bills are up, our electricity bills are up,” Asheville resident Will Oseroff agreed.
City leaders say the proposed increases are tied to the rising cost of doing business. Under the proposal, residents would see an annual increase of about $24 for solid waste services in fiscal year 2027. Water services could also increase, costing residents roughly $36 more per year.
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City Councilmember Kim Roney says leaders are working to balance the city’s financial needs while limiting the burden on residents. She said there are multiple ways to explore this.
“Number one is get creative with our revenue resources. Number two is make sure that we’re not duplicating cost, at every opportunity to partner, including with the county. We need to make sure that we’re cutting our expenses and using our resources wisely,” Roney said.
Some small business owners say the potential increases come at a difficult time.
“Costs are going up for everything beyond city services, so all of it at once feels very overwhelming, and it just feels unreachable to get to that space of being able to afford things,” Hecht said.
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Petra Buan, whose family owns Rosetta’s Kitchen, says many businesses are already struggling to stay afloat.
“It’s really hard to actually guarantee that the lights are still going to be on, that we’re going to make it another month. Right now, everyone is just struggling really hard to make ends meet,” Buan said.
Parking fees could also increase. The city is recommending a $1 increase for special event parking and a $5 increase for monthly lot permits. Some residents who work downtown say higher parking costs could be difficult for workers to manage.
“Unfortunately, most people don’t even make 20 bucks an hour working downtown, so if you think about it, over an hour of their day is spent just on parking,” Oseroff said.
The city has several work sessions and a public hearing scheduled for May 26 before any final decisions are made.
