You asked for an update, and here it is. Tonight Asheville City Council voted to award Volvo Construction Equipment North America $599,200 payable in equal installments over a seven year period. The award was an economic development incentive grant to be paid from the general fund. It would help the company with $20 million in capital improvements.
Dr. Carl Mumpower was the only member of council to vote against the measure, stating everybody should pay their fair share of taxes. Mayor Terry Bellamy “corrected†Mumpower, stating Volvo had already paid taxes, and this was to thank them. Brownie Newman said he agreed with Mumpower philosophically, but since everybody else is offering economic development incentive packages, Asheville would be left high and dry if they didn’t. Mumpower also said what he has oft said before, that the best economic development incentives are low taxes, public safety, quality city services, etc.
