The City of Asheville is doing its part to spend the country out of debt. “We’re counting on some level of stimulus resources to balance our budget,” remarked CFO Ben Durant, who normally shows tremendous fiscal sense. With several six-digit grants and entitlements already in the pipeline, council approved the following expenditures at their last meeting:
• $22,000 as a 10% local match for bus fare boxes.
• $84,636 as a 50% match for four alternative transportation promotions.
• $100,000 to deal with graffiti, panhandling, predatory towing, and litter downtown.
• $74,325 to enforce new anti-tethering rules (not effective until 2010).
• $278,600 as a 25% match to build a performing arts center to replace the WC Reid Community Center.
• $476,431 to honor their commitment to buy parkland on Beaucatcher Mountain.
• $110,000 on a $1,958,000 agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers for flood risk planning.
