The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) does not benefit our community. Excessive catering to the hotel industry has displaced hardworking Asheville residents and worsened our City’s ability to care for its own most vulnerable populations. It is time for the Buncombe County Commissioners to repeal the occupancy tax and defund the TDA. 

The current structure of the TDA consists of appointed (not elected) board members, mainly from the hotel industry, that control a $40 million budget, and are further enriched by the decisions they make. We are calling for a fundamental rewrite of the occupancy tax legislation so that it will benefit all in our community, not just a few.

County level decision making presents opportunities to advance equity and demonstrate the commitment our local governments have made to addressing the historic and current harms inflicted upon our Black community. Tourism in Buncombe County, historically built upon the labor of Black people, has increased wealth for white community members and compounded the disadvantages our Black community experience today.

Residents of Buncombe County believe people, the planet, and equity are more important than profit for a few. 

Please sign in support of the Buncombe County Commissioners repealing the occupancy tax as an individual, business, or local organization. Thank you!

*We are not asking for any donations to this petition.*