At its June 9 meeting, the Yancey County Board of Commissioners approved a $40.1 million budget for fiscal year 2025–26. This marks an increase from the previous year’s budget of around $34 million, which had been supplemented by nearly $6 million in FEMA reimbursements. Tax revenue projections remain conservative due to ongoing property revaluations and unassessed homes destroyed in Hurricane Helene.
A sizable crowd was on hand with concerns about the county’s decision to leave the AMY Regional Library System. The budget allocates over $308,000 for the Yancey County Public Library, including funding for a third full-time librarian. The county expects about $97,000 in matching funds from the state. Officials described this as a transitional “working budget” as they evaluate costs in running an independent library. County Commission Chairman Jeff Whitson said additional funds would be added if necessary.
Concerns were also raised over the $0 allocation listed for the Toe River Campground. County officials explained that they are awaiting FEMA and state assessments for the campground and Cane River Park, which suffered storm damage. FEMA has estimated starting costs at $1.3 million for the campground and $2.4 million for the park, but these figures are expected to rise as more detailed evaluations are completed.
