Curren raises issue with Bell vote on funding for Staunton golf course

A new fire station, or $600,000 on the public golf course at Gypsy Hill Park? 20th District Democratic candidate Erik Curren is trying to link the two votes cast by Republican opponent Dickie Bell in his tenure on Staunton City Council to raise issue with Bell’s priorities.

“Firefighters and other first responders risk their lives daily,” Curren said. “Surely we owe firefighters the resources they need to get to the scene as quickly as possible. And we owe it to our families and businesses to make sure that our communities have sufficient fire stations to keep us safe.”

Bell voted against funding the new West End fire station, which Fire Chief Scott Garber has said puts 96 percent of the residents and businesses in the Queen City within five minutes of a firehouse.

In an unrelated matter, Bell voted for $600,000 to pay for a new irrigation system for Staunton’s public golf course in Gypsy Hill Park.

“My opponent’s priorities seem mixed up,” Curren said. “Does he consider golf to be a core service of government? My opponent seems to think that taxpayers should pay for a golf course but not for better fire protection. Voters are right to ask, if my opponent were sent to Richmond, would he put special interests and frivolous spending ahead of the public interest and core services like transportation, education, and public safety? If so, that’s not fiscal conservatism – that’s fiscal irresponsibility.”