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COMMUNITY
Councilman’s ethics
review cost $8,600
An ethics review of City Councilman Bates Mat-
tison’s dual job as interim executive director of the
Brookhaven Innovation Academy will cost the city
more than $8,600.
Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams in November
ordered a legal opinion from Marietta attorney R.
Randall Bentley Sr., who recently billed the city
$8,662.50 for his work. Bentley said Mattison can
hold both jobs as long as he recuses himself from
votes relating to the new public charter school.
Bentley also recommended the removal of a fun
draising incentive from Mattison’s BIA pay pack
age, a move the school’s board had made shortly after the legal review was announced.
Mercedes CEO leaves for Falcons job;
Brookhaven resident replaces him
Mercedes-Benz USA president and CEO
Steve Cannon, who oversaw the automaker’s
move to Sandy Springs, is leaving to head the
company that owns the Atlanta Falcons and
the new downtown football stadium, among
other assets.
Cannon will start as CEO of AMB Group
on Feb. 1, essentially replacing well-known
Atlanta corporate leader Arthur M. Blank as
the day-to-day operator of the company, ac
cording to a press release.
Earlier this year, MBUSA bought the
naming rights to the stadium Cannon will
now oversee, a move he and Blank an
nounced in a press conference.
“I made an immediate connection with Arthur because we
have very similar value systems and a shared vision for what the
customer experience can and should be,” Cannon in an AMB
press release said. “I look forward to working closely with the
leaders within AMB Group and across the individual business
es to drive growth and deliver even greater value to the fans, customers, partners and
communities that we serve.”
Replacing Cannon at MBUSA is Dietmar Exler, who currently serves as vice pres
ident of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA. Exler, a Brookhaven resident, will
take over MBUSA on Jan. 1 and Cannon will act as a consultant through Jan. 31, ac
cording to a press release.
“Dietmar’s appointment is central to reinforcing our strategy and our standards
around the world, and will continue to strengthen the ties and collaboration with
in our marketing and sales network,” said Ola Kaellenius, a member of the board of
management of Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales, in an MBU
SA press release.
General fund budget set at $20.8 million
Brookhaven City Council unanimously adopted a $20.8 million general fund
budget during its Dec. 15 meeting, but not before readjusting line items to increase
the amount going into the city’s contingency funds.
“The good news is we have $ 1 million more in the general fund,” Mayor Rebecca
Chase Williams said.
City officials “found” the $ 1 million by trimming some departmental budgets, re
ducing the amount budgeted for gasoline for police to reflect recent drops in gas pric
es, and by using ITomestead Option Sales Tax funds, rather than general funds, to
cover more than $750,000 in maintenance costs in the public works and parks de
partments.
Councilman Bates Mattison said the plan was eventually to move the money from
the city’s $1.39 million contingency fund to the city’s reserves.
“In the good economic times, we need to be saving for the down times,” he said.
Council members also decided where the unspent money in their discretionary
2015 accounts should be spent. The mayor has $45,000 in discretionary funds while
each council member has $20,000, according to the city.
JOHN RUCH
Steve Cannon
BRIEFS
Store
Brookhaven, we are moving in January!
Come ship your Holiday gifts one last time in the old store.
We look forward to serving you at our new location 8 doors down. (Formerly Cook's Warehouse)
Printing Services
Certified Packaging Experts
Mailbox Services
Document Finishing
Shipping Services
Shredding, Notary and more,
4060 Peachtree Road, Suite D
Atlanta, GA 30319
P. 404.237.1223
staff1407@theupsstore. com
Store Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8:30am - 7:00pm
Sat: 9:30am - 4:00pm
Sun: Closed
Locally owned and ready to help,
BK
www.ReporterNewspapers.netl DEC. 25, 2015 — JAN. 7,2016 | 13