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Bentley will not run in’79
Mayor’s race wide-open
for hopeful candidates
By BRIAN O’SHEA
City editor
Mayor Upshaw Bentley declared open
season on the November’s mayor race
with an announcement Wednesday that
he would not seek a third term
At his first press conference since his
election in 1975, Bentley told reporters he
will leave office next January to return
full-time to his Athens law practice
"I loved every minute of it, but it is
extremely time-consuming,” Bentley
said ‘‘This is one of the hardest decisions
I have ever had to make.”
Bentley also said the City Council
should give serious consideration to
making the mayor’s job full-time and
fielded questions on the local option sales
tax controversy
The city is large enough to have a
full-time mayor and ‘‘having a city
manager form of government would be a
very pleasant situation for someone.”
Bentley said
The mayor immediately dismissed the
possibility that he was that someone and
added he has no plans to seek another
elective office in the near future.
“My political aspirations were reached
when I collected the mayor's office.” he
said Bentley added he does plan to stay
active in the democratic party
With Bentley out of the race, the run
for the mayor's chair is now wide open
Councilmen Robert Carson and Ed
Turner have said they are considering
announcing for the race, but no one is
publicly committed to run
Bentley’s announcement was met with
disappointment by many city officials,
but no one seemed particularly surprised
by the decision
Lewis Shropshire, councilman for Ward
3. said Bentley has served “extremely
well” and "hopefully someone will pick
up where he left off.”
“Several people had speculated that he
might not run I personally am
disappointed.” said Jerry Nicholson.
Ward 2 councilman
Members of the council had tried to
persuade Bentley to run again, but. “the
encouragement given to me by so many
to ask for re-election has by far
overemphasized my capabilities,”
Bentley said “I particularly appreciate
the Athens City Council action last night
in their unanimous encouragement for
me to run again.”
At his press conference, the major
dismissed i peculation that his decision
not to run v as influenced by the recent
controversy over the division of local
option sales tax revenue The controversy
arose over the question of how the money
should be split between the city and
county
"On this big issue, the two govern
ments should get together and come up
with a solution." Bentley added
V.,|t plv.1.. V.iiv Kr^-hnkr
Athens Mayor Upshaw Bentley
Student committee to survey need for dental clinic
By ROBIN RINGLER
Staff writer
The student health advisory committee will administer a survey Monday to
determine whether the student body wants the addition of a dental clinic to the
University infirmary, according to Tim Lunceford. committee spokesman
The survey will be conducted in random classrooms selected from each building on
campus, Lunceford said. The six-question form will ask if the student wants dental
services at the University and how payment should be collected for such services
"We plan to distribute about 400 surveys and hope to have the results by the end of
next week," Lunceford said
According to Dr. John Curtis, academic director of health services, the survey results
will determine whether or not a request will be made to the administration for approval
of the dental clinic
We will evaluate the study and how representative was," Curtis said "We will try
to respond to the results and act accordingly This question definitely needs to be
investigated further.” he said.
Survey results would also help determine what services would be offered at a
University dental clinic.
"We want to offer a teeth cleaning service and emergency dental work as well. "
Curtis said According to the director, the clinic could also offer minor dental surgery
such as cavity filling if the students showed an interest and would be willing to pay for
it.
‘We will try to respond to the results and act
accordingly. This question definitely needs to
be investigated further’ —Dr. John Curtis
Monday's survey is being conducted as a result of a survey last year which showed 76
percent of the students polled felt the need for a dental clinic at the University
Sixty-three percent polled agreed to pay a users fee for services, as opposed to a
per-quarter fee payment. Monday’s survey will ask students if they would prefer
prepayment, compulsory payment or fee-for service payment
TAX DISTRIBUTION STALLED
—
City and county could lose over $ 1 million
By SKTHI OIIKN
I AiiiiUnt city rdilor
, Over $1 million in local sales tax
revenue could be lost if Athens and Clarke
a. County do not reach agreement soon on
how the money should be divided
• Under a bill signed into law April 1.
197S, the two bodies must reach some
sort of compromise before the June I
deadline or the money, generated by the
X one cent local option sales tax. will go to
J the state
The first bill passed by the Georgia
State Legislature, in 1975. concerning the
local option sales tax, divided the money
I according to population According to this
News
c4nalysis
.Ian, Athens would receive 68.03 percent
f the revenue and Clarke County would
eceive 30 90 percent Winterville and
Sogart would receive 1.07 percent
These percentages are derived from a
ormula based on the population of
Athens and the population of ur.incorpo
ited Clarke County However, this plan
vas declared unconstitutional by the
Georgia Supreme Court because the state
lid not have the right to divide the
evenue for the city and county
As a result of the court's decision,
nother bill was hurriedly passed by the
tate legislature, and signed into law
April 1. directing the city and county to
come up with their own methods of
distributing the money
At the present time, the money is being
held in Atlanta until Athens and Clarke
County can come up with a solution
Mayor Upshaw Bentley presented
seven options to the city council Tuesday
night, that were drawn up at a meeting
between city and county officials isee
chart at right.)
This problem is not peculiar to Athens
and Clarke County Cities anu counties
throughout the state are facing similar
situations
As of last week. 28 counties had solved
the problem Of these 28. 21 decided to
divide the money according to popula
lion. The remaining seven counties
divided the money in a variety of ways,
including one. Quitman County, that
divided the funds equally with the city
Whatever the solution, if any. it might
only be in effect until 1980 This is
because of a proposed constitutional
amendment which' would divide the
money according to the original plan
declared unconstitutional by the Georgia
Supreme Court
Constitutional amendments can only be
voted on in even numbered years
One solution, tentatively agreed upon
at one time by Bentley and County
Commission Chairman James Holland,
would have kept the percentages the
same as they were originally, in return
for the city reducing water rates for
non-city residents from two and a half
times the normal rate to two times the
normal rate.
Sales Tax Optiqns
Percentage of tax nionex
allocated to:
1 Population
Athens 68 03
County: 30 90
Winterville I 07
Winterville and Bogart
1 07
2 Weighted Population
Athens 40 50
County 58 50
Winterville and Bogart
1 00
3 Tax Digest Formula
Athens 43 92
County 55 08
Winterville and Bogart
too
4 Weighted Tax Digest Formula
Athens 30 51
County 68 49
Winterville and Bogart
1 no
5 + Credit to County on Rollback to city
Athens 56 66
Count) 42 34
Winterville and Bogart
1 00
6 Distribute all proceeds to County
7 Distribute all proceeds to City
-f If the county rolls back taxes for both
the incorporated and unincorporated
parts of Clarke County, the city would
pax for the rollbacks occunng within its
city limits
This plan was met with much
opposition by the county commission
Another possible solution, not men
tioned in the chart, was proposed
Tuesday night by councilman Jerry
Nicholson This plan would divide
the money according to the amount of
services provided by the city and county
If this plan were accepted Athens would
receive about 65 percent of the money
Committee guidelines
passed by library staff
By CINDY JACKSON
Assistant campus editor
Library staff members adopted a proposal Tuesday establishing a committee which
will recommend applicants for promotion to the director of libraries, according to
Marie Ellis, chairman of the proposal committee
The recommendations of the new committee on promotion of professional librarians,
as well as the recommendations of the library director, would go to Vice President for
Academic Affairs Virginia Trotter Ellis said
Although the guidelines are only temporary and must still be approved by Trotter and
Interim Director of Libraries Ralph McCoy, members of the library staff are now in the
process of nominating a committee on promotions
"This is a temporary plan to try out this year." McCoy said "I’m in favor of it,” he
added
"We’ve never had any written guidelines before." Ellis said. "I think this is a positive
step."
In the past, supervisors generally made any recommendations for promotion. Ellis
said Employees could also apply for positions which had been advertised, she added
With the new promotion system the promotions committee will consider
recommendations from the director of libraries, the librarian's department head or
supervisor, a peer, or the individual librarian acting in his or her own behalf
Under the proposal, the entire library staff will elect the promotions committee,
which must consist of five members holding the rank of Librarian II, III or IV. or
instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or professor There must be at least
one member from each of the Librarian II. Ill or IV levels
Librarians on the II or III levels are usually heads of departments and IV level
librarians are usually assistant directors. Ellis said
Employees up for promotion will be judged on job performance, service to the
library, professional activities, accomplishments in research, publication, teaching and
continuing education and service to the University and community, according to the
proposal
If the library director offers a negative decision on a candidate, the decision of the
promotions committee and the director will still go the vice president for academic
affairs for deliberation, the guidelines said.
If a candidate is turned down, he would have five working days to appeal the
decision. Ellis said. The committee of appeals would consist of one member designated
by the library director, one member chosen by the promotions committee, one member
chosen by the appellant and two members selected by the first three members, the
guidelines stated
Ellis said the proposal would remain as interim guidelines until the library faculty
votes on a permanent ranking system with accompanying guidelines
It 'the proposal* doesn’t apply to those who have faculty rank." McCoy said
UG A Today
Sickle cell clinic today
A sickle cell anemia testing clinic will be held today on the Memorial
Hall Plaza from 10 a m until 2 p m The event is sponsored by Alpha
Kappa Alpha sorority, and is open to the public For more information,
call 542-6521 or 542 8044
Play ball
The University Union is holding a
co-ed vollevball tournament next
Tuesday. May 8. at 2 30 p.m. in the
Reed Quadrangle Six-person teams,
with at least two females per team,
may register now at the Memorial
Hall Business Office for a $6 entry fee
Ninety dollars worth of gift certifi
cates to Bulldog Sporting Goods will
be awarded as prizes Sign up soon*
Go Tell the Spartans
The South PJ Movie tonight, obtained at great expense, is Go Tell the
Spartans, an excellent film about the Viet Nam war Burt Lancaster and
martial arts master Evan Kim head a fine cast in the story of the conflict’s
early days, when the first American soldiers were establishing a foothold in
IndoChina The movie, rated R, will show at 7 and 9pm
Hearts aflame
The University departments of
Drama and German, the International
Programs Office, and the Atlanta
Goethe House are sponsoring a New
German Film Festival May 3, 5. and
7 Three films, representative of the
German film renaissance, will be
shown free of charge at the Classic HI
theatre Flaming Hearts an ironic
comedy, will be shown today at 4 p m
today The film festival is open to the
public
Fair deals on books
Plan now to attend the book lair this Saturday, May 5, sponsored by the
American Association o( University Women The book lair will be an
opportunity (or you to buy hard-back and paperback books on every
imaginable topic at low prices The (air will take place in front o( Sears at
Beechwood Shopping Center, and the proceeds will go to educational
scholarships (or deserving young women in the Athens area
Like Ike tonight
Ike a three part miniseries concern
ing Dwight Elsenhower's involvement
in World War II. will debut tonight at
9 p m on channel 11 The first episode
takes place in North Africa, where
Eisenhower leads the Allied forces
against Rommel The series stars
Robert Duvall and Lee Remick Part 2
will air Friday, and Part 3 will be
shown Sunday night
a
See RF\ FNl F. p *