Pubdate: Wed, 09 Jun 2004
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2004 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Author: John Boyle

PUBLIC SPEAKS MINDS ON DRUG INITIATIVE AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING

ASHEVILLE - Asheville City Council again Tuesday revisited the idea of a 
drug eradication initiative in public housing, this time with plenty of 
public input.

At a hearing on the city's proposed budget, 19 residents spoke about the 
council's approach to fighting drugs in public housing and elsewhere. One 
recurring theme was that council should first get public opinion.

"You need to ask, `What do your neighborhoods need? What do our 
neighborhoods want?'" said Dian Robinson, a public housing resident.

A four-member majority of council has directed the city manager to look at 
funding a $600,000 Safe Neighborhoods Initiative, which includes provisions 
for hiring four police officers, and boosting community policing and 
affordable housing efforts while creating more job opportunities for youths.

The city manager's proposed budget calls for spending $27.4 million on 
public safety, an increase of $104,000. Public safety accounts for about a 
quarter of the $103.3 million budget proposal.

The budget, which calls for no property tax rate increase, is for the 
fiscal year that begins in July. City Council is scheduled to adopt its 
budget June 22.

About 10 speakers favored the Safe Neighborhoods plan over Councilman Carl 
Mumpower's $750,000 proposal, which included some social services 
provisions but mostly would move forward through tough law enforcement.

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Three people spoke in favor of Mumpower's approach.

"The problem has been solved in many cities, and there's only one way it's 
been solved: by tough police action," Asheville resident Ivor Thomas said.

Last week, council members Brownie Newman, Holly Jones, Terry Bellamy and 
Mayor Charles Worley presented their Safe Neighborhoods Initiative and 
proceeded to vote for it. Council members Mumpower, Joe Dunn and Jan Davis 
voted for Mumpower's plan.

Neither camp seemed to alter course after Tuesday's hearing.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart