Politics

Stephens voted yes then no on $3M fire station contract

Fire Station 2 is under construction on Sugarloaf Road.

By Bill Moss, Published: October 26, 2013

Hendersonville mayoral candidate Ron Stephens said he didn't remember voting for a $3 million fire station contract and questioned Mayor Barbara Volk's leadership for failing to control spending.

"I tried to find out how that happened," Stephens, an incumbent council member, said during a forum last week. "It did not come before City Council, I have not voted on that big increase. I've asked another city council member, who doesn't remember it.
"I've gone to City Hall and interviewed some key people who have been involved in that. They don't remember. I am asking this morning the mayor to tell us, When did she know that it was going to cost this much and how did she find it out?"
Volk responded that Stephens had voted for the project himself.
"He was there the night we voted on the contract," she said. "He didn't question it that night. If he had concerns I really wish he had brought them out when we were approving the bid and approving the contract instead of bringing them out at this point."
City Council minutes show that over the past 14 months Stephens voted for the fire station project in concept, voted twice to borrow money for it and voted to award a $2.8 million contract to build it before he voted no on a set of alternates that added $236,000 to the cost.