While Council is set to pass a budget tonight, it will still be months before it’s clear if all city workers will actually get a living wage Above: the description of a U.S. Cellular Center job from the city of Asheville’s website last year, paying below a living wage. Asheville

The public weighs in on the budget’s ‘moving parts’ while Council gets an earful, wrangles over numbers and disagrees on a few key points Above: Mayor Esther Manheimer during the June 9 budget hearing. Photo by Max Cooper. As the Blade (and some of the area’s other media as well)

Local government’s biggest — and most underrated — public hearing of the year happens tomorrow. Inside the city’s $154 million budget, from tax hikes to living wage, why it matters and what it means Above: City Hall under renovation, photo by Bill Rhodes. It’s easy, for those watching the goings-on

Council moves forward with ‘minor’ fee changes — and ending the downtown fare free bus zone — sparking a debate about transparency Above: a sign on South French Broad Avenue noting the boundary of the city’s fare free bus zone. Asheville City Council’s April 14 meeting was another short one

With little discussion or transparency, Asheville City Council moved this week to end downtown’s fare free transit zone, an important aid for some citizens. That needs to change, and any changes to the zone deserve a full public discussion Above: The fare free zone in downtown On Tuesday, after an

Behind a very general agenda, two meals and lots of debate over wording, Asheville’s leaders are about make some big decisions for the year Above: City hall by moonlight. Photo by Max Cooper. It’s not on the main page of the city’s website. Or their calendar of meetings (though the agenda

About 140 city employees make less than a living wage. More on that issue, and how Council’s now considering a raise Above: the job description for a U.S. Cellular Center worker in “specialized unskilled work.” The job, like many others at the center, pays below a living wage. Just over

In a time of growing demand, calls for reform and uncertain budgets, the Asheville Transit Committee sets some priorities for where the cash will go Above: The Asheville Transit Committee gathers for its Jan. 6 meeting, around one of those photographically vexing projectors city meeting rooms have in abundance. —

By David Forbes The city of Asheville is on course to spend $147 million. That’s the amount of its annual budget, covering everything from parks to public art to smartphones for cops. Except for us urban policy masochists, the words “city budget” don’t usually make people run to pour over