DRUG TEST FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS?

Asheville City Council's interviews of potential colleagues on Tuesday
may have an unintended offshoot - drug tests for Council members.
During the four interviews conducted on Dec. 9, Council member Carl
Mumpower asked each interviewee if he or she was willing to submit to
a criminal background check and drug test. All four candidates said
they were, and Mumpower alter told Xpress that he has no intention or
means to follow up on the question.

But the question did start a short conversation among Council members
about whether they themselves should take such a test - a conversation
they may pick up again soon.

Council member Jan Davis noted that city staff is already required to
take drug tests, and that it may be only fair for Council to submit to
the same standard, and there was talk of revisiting the topic at
Council's January retreat or during a meeting in the first part of
2009. For his part, Mumpower said he has no intention of letting the
issue slide, and wants a policy discussion on the matter.

"I think we should be a model," Mumpower told Xpress. "If our
employees have to do it, we should have to do it."