An October audit by a Buncombe County auditor of the Pack Square Conservancy’s books found that internal financial controls are adequate, but that the non-profit overseeing the massive renovation of Asheville’s signature park is operating on a $20 million budget that hasn’t been approved by Buncombe County commissioners.
County commissioners and Asheville City Council created the conservancy in 2000 to oversee the reworking of Pack Square Park, the area that extends from the front steps of City Hall and the Buncombe County Courthouse westward to the area surrounding the Vance Monument in the heart of downtown. That agreement requires the conservancy board to submit its budget to the city and county for approval.
The conservancy has seen construction delays and an escalating budget in the years since its inception. The conservancy’s last approved budget of $10.5 million was approved by commissioners in September 2004, according to the audit by Buncombe County internal county auditor Tim Flora. The construction budget is now just over $20 million.
Click here to download a PDF of the audit.
