State puts Sylva fire station expansion on hold
The town ran afoul of North Carolina general statutes when an audit revealed that part of the $3.5 million that the town received for the sale of the Fisher Creek watershed was invested in financial vehicles not approved by the state.
The state regulates such transactions to prevent public money from being placed in risky investments.
Then-town manager Jay Denton, who maintains that the mistake was inadvertent, was fired by the town board after the incident came to light. Denton also crossed swords with members of the board last summer over a $100,000 cost overrun on a pedestrian bridge over Scotts Creek in downtown Sylva.
The town, with the county’s help, is seeking additional funds for the fire station project because the town’s initial cost estimate failed to allow for sufficient parking area, and because significant earth moving will be needed to create the additional spaces.
The Local Government Commission, in reviewing the town’s audit, also recommended more stringent controls over the use of town credit card accounts.
Sylva’s town manager position has been filled on an interim basis since October by Chris Carter, retired manager of the town of Hendersonville. The town board recently hired Adrienne Isenhower, a planner from Lenoir, to replace Denton.
Tags: local government commission, North Carolina, north carolina general statutes, Sylva
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