The main theme from the Asheville City Council meeting tonight was spending state and federal dollars. Councilman Dr. Carl Mumpower was joined by Bill Russell for a couple nay votes.
Council accepted $30,000 from North Carolina’s deficit for “water features†at Azalea Park; $26,180 for room partitions, sewing machine repair, a band saw, and other things for the Senior Opportunity Center and the Harvest House; and $5000 for gang suppression and awareness. Council accepted $70,197 from the US Department of Homeland Security for wildlife fire suppression. And that was just the consent agenda.
Council also agreed to apply for $3 million in federal funds for the purchase and refurbishment of foreclosed housing. It is expected that government competition in the real estate market will prevent the blight caused by empty houses.
Mumpower and Russell voted against the federal legislative agenda because all items drew upon the federal deficit. Mumpower opposed projects for chi-i-i-i-i-i-ildren because he said it truly wasn’t kind to saddle them with debt. He likened deficit spending to drinking one’s way out of alcoholism.
Lastly, council considered submitting a wish list for federal economic stimulus packaging. Mumpower said it was not ethical of the mayor and city manager to compile the list without the input of council members and the public. Mayor Terry Bellamy disagreed. She didn’t want to get into a philosophical discussion. Asheville needed money for infrastructure. Robin Cape wanted to add education to the list of potential fundings, Kelly Miller wanted to add art and museums, and a member of the public wanted to add daycare. By a 5-2 vote, council directed the city manager to pursue economic stimulus to these ends.
