Newspaper Page Text
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VOLUME XCII - NUMBER X
Convict in Motion: Who Controls City Employees?
1 ’ T DROW ESPY
On May 4, voters :ity of Summerville will go to the
polls to elect a new rr, p £ serve the unexpired term of former
Mayor Evans Scoggins.
Os course, no one 1 Sr this point in time who that person
will be. If the new ma $ ~ “forceful” individual and insists on
running City Hall acct ft"* o the “book,” then there are two
possible areas in which y an conflict between the mayor and
council could occur.
One area of possible conflict is whether the mayor or the city
council actually controls the hiring and firing of city employees.
Apparently, the council members believe that perogative
belongs to them, but a close look at the city charter does not bear
out that contention.
When the present city charter was adopted, it purposely gave
Local
News
Briefs
RICKY CAMP IN
Trion’s Ricky Camp,
according to a Wednesday
report, has made it with
the Atlanta Braves.
Camp, in his second
year of pro baseball, is the
son of Mr. and Mrs.
Furman Camp of Trion
and is married to the
former Debbie Hyden, also
of Trion.
The Braves open the
season against the San
Diego Padres Friday night
in San Diego.
Camp’s status as a
starter or reliefer is not
known at present.
SUNRISE SERVICE
The Kiwanis Club of
Chattooga County and the
Chattooga Ministerial
Association will jointly
sponsor an Easter Sunrise
Service at 6:30 a.m. at
Chattooga High Stadium.
Speakers from all
denominations throughout
the county will conduct
the special service, which
will be held in the
gymnasium in case of rain.
At 7 a.m. the
Kiwanians will serve a
pancake breakfast in the
CHS cafetorium. Tickets
for the breakfast are $1.50
per plate and are available
from any Kiwanis Club
member.
For additional infor
mation, contact Ron Hill
at Farmers & Merchants
Bank, Gordon Allen at
Allen Hardware, or Billy
Gilreath at Lane Funeral
Home.
THREE FINED
Sheriff Gary McConnell
this week reported that
three Wisconsin men,
Donald L. Mecum, Daniel
F. Kratockgill, and
Edward Marr, entered
pleas of guilty to
marijuana possession
Monday before Superior
Court Judge Robert E.
Coker.
According to the
sheriff, they were fined
S2OO each and placed on
probation for one year. A
condition of the probation
was that they not come
into the Lookout Moun
tain Judicial Circuit for a
period of 12 months.
3 FIRE CALLS
The Summerville Fire
Department answered
three fire calls during the
past week, according to
department records.
On Friday, the truck
was lodged out at 6:35
p.m. to a woods fire on
Sunset Drive, returning to
the station at 7 p.m.
The department also
responded to a mobile
home fire April 1 in Oak
Hill subdivision. The truck
went out at 12:05 p.m.
and returned at I 2:57.
Minor damage was
reported to the kitchen of
a house at 500 Vine St. on
April I. The fire call came
in at 5:58 p.m. The truck
returned to the station at
6:15 p.m.
BOND WITHHELD
According to records in
the Chattooga County
Sheriffs Department, a
Charlotte, N. C., man,
Lesley Thurman Bell, was
arrested on fugitive
charges from North
Carolina and is currently
lodged in Chattooga
County Jail without bond.
Sheriff Gary McConnell
reported that Vicky
Bridges, also of Charlotte
was arrested and charged
with forgery and kid
napping and released to
Cobb County authorities.
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BICENTENNIAL CONTEST WINNERS
Several months ago, the Chattooga County Bi
centennial Committee asked local residents to report
deeds to property in the county dated before 1860.
The Summerville Bar Association agreed to donate
prizes for the three oldest deeds reported. Shown
above are the winners of that contest, which was
FOR UNEXPIRED TERM
Special Mayoral Election
Called May 4 By Council
The Summerville City
Council has set May 4 as the
date of a special election to fill
the unexpired term of former
Mayor Evans Scoggins, whose
resignation became effective
April 1.
The May 4 date was elected
to coincide with the Presi
dential Preference Primary.
Members of the council felt
that with voters already in
town for the primary, more of
them would vote in the special
election.
In making the announce
ment of his resignation,
Scoggins said “a man who has
to make a living at another job
does not have the time
required to devote to city
affairs.” The former mayor has
long been an advocate of a
full-time mayor or city
manager form of government.
Councilman Sewell Cash
will serve as interim mayor
until Scoggins' successor has
COUNCIL TO MEET
The Summerville City
Council is scheduled to meet in
regular session at 7 p.m.
Monday in the conference
room at City Hall.
One item on the agenda is
expected to be approval or dis
approval of the second reading
of the beer-licensing ordinance.
IRS Says Last-Minute Tax Help Available
Internal Revenue Service
this week disclosed that last
minute help will be available
for those persons who have not
yet completed their 1975
income tax returns.
“The toll-free switchboard
(1-800-222-2140) will be open
from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Satur
day,’’ Giles Hollingsworth,
public affairs officer in the
Atlanta IRS office, told The
Summerville News in a tele
phone conversation Tuesday.
Hollingsworth also said that
IRS personnel would be avail-
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA 30747-THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1976
the person in the mayor’s seat a strong position. It was felt that
was necessary since any chief executive officer needs assistants
with whom he can work closely, and who hold office at his
pleasure.
The city charter grants the mayor the right to appoint a “city
clerk, city treasurer, city attorney, and such other city employees
as may be necessary for the efficient operation of the city.”
The charter also gives the council the right to approve or
disapprove those appointed (or hired) by the mayor. But once
that approval is given by the council, the charter does not give the
council specific authority to discharge any city employee. Some
legal observers are of the opinion that action can be taken only
by the mayor.
If an employee is discharged by the mayor, he (or she) has the
right to make an appeal to the council. On such an appeal, the
council’s decision is binding.
been elected and sworn in.
Candidates for the mayoral
election can start qualifying at
9 a.m. April 14. The closing
date for qualifications will be 5
p.m. April 23.
The qualifying fee for
mayor was set at $ 100.
The registration books at
City Hall are now open for
those who are not already on
the voting roster, and will
remain open until 5 p.m. April
23. A City Hall spokesman said
Wednesday that “approxi
mately 1,250 Persons” are on
the voter list at present.
At least two persons have
already indicated they will be
candidates for the unexpired
185 PATROL ARRESTS
The Rome State Patrol Post during March investigated 23
traffic accidents, made 185 arrests, and issued 247 warnings in
Chattooga County, according to a report by the post’s com
mander, Sgt. C. S. Dunn Jr.
“Seven persons were injured in the 23 accidents," Sgt. Dunn
added. “There were no traffic fatalities.”
The post commander also reported that a total of 216 pending
traffic cases were disposed of in the courts, with the following
dispositions: quilty pleas, 160; bond forfeitures, I; dismissals, 25;
no record, 2; and nolo contcndre pleas, 28.
“Fines and forfeitures amounted to $7,693,” Sgt. Dunn
pointed out. "Those fees were paid to the courts of Chattooga
County."
Os the 185 arrests in Chattooga County during March, 21 were
for DUI and 58 for speeding.
able by phone until 9 p.m.
today and until midnight April
15, to assist last-minute tax
filers with any problems they
might have.
Many local taxpayers have
long since filed their 1975
forms and have already re
ceived income tax refunds. But
there is also a good many who
have not received refunds due
to various reasons
“Incorrect or illegible ad
dresses on tax returns can
delay refunds,’’ according to
John Henderson, district direc-
coordinated by Emily Farrar, V'’bicentennial
Committee member. Left to right FM/s. Kathryn
Vernon, third place; T. 4 k T - president o' the total
bar association; Mrs. Nell Ramey 7 orst place; and
John Stubbs, second place.
term of mayor, which expires
Dec. 31, 1977. Lamar Allmon,
a local car salesman, has made
a public announcement that he
will be a candidate. Interim
Mayor Sewell Cash is “almost”
a candidate, but has not made
an official announcement.
Mayoral candidates must be
at least 25 years of age, own
real property in the city limits,
have lived in the city for at
least two years prior to qualify
ing, and must be a registered,
qualified voter of the state of
Georgia and the city of
Summerville.
In the event Cash runs for
the unexpired term of mayor
and is elected, another special
tor of Internal Revenue Service
in Georgia.
Henderson said that it a tax
payer has moved since filing an
income tax return, and has not
informed the U. S. Postal Serv
ice of the new address, any
refund might not reach its des
tination.
“A taxpayer expecting a
refund should file a change of
address form with the local
post office," Henderson cau
tioned.
Illegible handwriting on a
return can also cause problems
Section 5 of the city charter, which deals with the powers of
the mayor, says, in parti: "... he (the mayor) shall have the
right to hire all city employees, subject to the approval of the
council, and he may suspend any city employee without the
necessity of obtaining approval of the council, subject to right of
appeal by said suspended employee to the mayor and council.”
The charter specifically gives the mayor the power to suspend
(or fire) any city employee, but it does not grant that right to the
council.
Another area of possible conflict is the question of what
constitutes a valid council meeting. There seems to be a growing
belief that any three council members can get together, appoint
one of their number to preside, and hold a valid meeting.
The chatter specifies that special meetings of the council “may
election will have to be held to
fill his unexpired term on the
council.
The City Council was
required to call the special
election not more than 40 days
from the time such vacancy
occurred.
Any person who is 18 years
of age and who has been a
bona fide resident of the city
for at least three months is
eligible to register to vote in
city elections, provided they
possess all the qualifications
necessary under the Consti
tution of the State of Georgia
to entitle them to vote for
members of the General
Assembly from Chattooga
| County.
The polis will be open on
May 4 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at
City Hall in Summerville.
UNCLE NED SEZ:
DEAR MISTER EDITOR
It's about this time each
year that a body can symper
thue with the teller who said,
“Ain't no other country but
America where it takes more
smart to fill out them income
tax returns than it does to
make the money in the first
place. ”
Yores truly,
UNChE NED
when it comes to issuing a re- ।
fund check, according to the
IRS district director. One solu
tion to that problem, he added, |
is for the taxpayers to use the ;
peel-off label attached to the
tax package mailed out by IRS
Henderson pointed out that
the taxpayer can make any
name, address, or social secu
rity number corrections right
on the label That way, IRS
will know to whom and where
to direct the refund.
The director also reminded j
Georgia taxpayers that they
Unemployment
Rate Declines
To 8 Percent
For the first time in more
than a year, Chattooga
County’s rate of unemploy
ment has dropped below the
10-percent level, according to
latest labor market data re
leased by the Rome office of
the Georgia Department of
Labor.
The survey, which reflects
unemployment data for Febru
ary, shows that 856 Chat
toogans were without jobs
during the reporting period.
The total work force is listed at
9,931 for an unemployment
rate of 8.6 percent.
The number of jobless
workers in Chattooga County
began a steady climb early last
year, reaching a peak of 14.1
percent in mid-suminer, and
has remained above the 10-per
cent mark until now.
The rate of unemployment
for the other nine counties of
th'* Coosa Valley Area has also
vn a healthy decline. Pauld
aig County reported the lowest
rate of unemployment, with a
5.0 figure, followed closely by
Catoosa County (5.1) and
Walker County (5.6).
Bartow County, with 10.6
percent, showed the highest
rate of employment; Polk
County had 10.1 percent; and
the city of Rome, 9.4 percent.
The average jobless rate for
the Coosa Valley Area was 7.8;
the state of Georgia, 7.9; and
the national average was 8.7.
On the state level, Georgia
had also reached its lowest un
employment level in more than
a year, the Georgia Department
of Labor reported.
February's rate, a shiny 7.9
percent, marks the first time in
almost 15 months that the
state rate has fallen below eight
percent. For the second time
since October, 1974, Georgia’s
rate of unemployment was
below the national level.
“That is excellent,” Labor
Commissioner Sam (.'aid well
said. “Although we are not
attempting to paint a picture
of boom times, it certainly
shows that the nation's econo
my and more importantly,
Georgia's economy is moving
out of recession-depression and
toward recovery.”
Caldwell again singled out
the textile and food industries
as leaders in Georgia’s recov
ery. Textiles, perhaps the
hardest hit of all state indus
tries, Caldwell added, was in
virtual depression a year ago.
But on an annual basis, tex
tiles, along with its twin indus
try, apparel, has gained 22,500
jobs 13,000 in production and
8,700 in apparel and garment.
The textile industry has
116,600 production workers in
the state, and 68,000 in
apparel and garment, making it
Georgia's largest industry per
se, with 186,000 workers. The
Iwo industries account for 40
percent of manufacturing in
can get their tax questions
answered by calling the IRS
toll-free number any weekday
between 8 30 a.m. and 4 30
p.m., in addition to the special |
times listed above
"Hard cash sent to the In-.
ternal Revenue Service can
mean hard luck," Henderson
told local taxpayers
“Because cash can get lost
in the mail." he added, “tax
payers should send only
personal checks or nioney
orders to satisfy their tax bills.
By doing so. the taxpayer has)
be called at any time by the mayor or by a majority of the
members of the council.” It does not give any one the right to
preside at meetings except the mayor or the person designated by
the council as mayor pro tern who “performs all the duties and
exercises all the rights and powers and privileges of the office of
mayor” in the absence of the mayor.
The conclusion drawn from those two excerpts from the city
charter is that a majority of the council members may CALL a
special meeting but that the charter does not give other than the
mayor-or the mayor pro tern, in the mayor’s absence the right
to PRESIDE at council meetings.
Those two areas of possible conflict should be resolved by the
mayor and council before they have a chance to become a reality.
the state.
Employment in the food
industries has gained 3,200
jobs in a year, for a total of |
51,600 jobs.
Georgia last recorded a
below-eight-percent unemploy
ment rate with a 7.3 percent in
December, 1974.
Another bit of brightening
news came from the U. S. De
partment of Labor’s Bureau ot
Labor Statistics, which revised
Georgia’s January rate of un
employment (9.0 percent)
downward to 8.2 percent. The '
bureau reported that prelimi- I
nary estimates were wrong, and
that actual figures revealed the
8.2 percent.
The latest Georgia rate ol
7.9 percent means that
163,000 Georgians are still un- .
employed, considerably better
SHERIFF’S REPORT
The Chattooga County
Sheriff’s Department reported
98 violations during the past
week, bringing the total for the
year to 1,020. Sixteen persons
I are lodged in the county jail.
Cases were listed as follows:
speeding, 27; driving under the
influence of an intoxicant, 7;
public drunkenness, 5; pro
bation, I; dumping trash in
prohibited area, 1; detention
order, 1; bench warrant, 3;
passing worthless check, 1;
capias, 3; drunkenness at
private residence, 1.
Also, theft by taking, 2;
hold for North Carolina
authorities, 2; assault with an
auto, 1; possessing and selling
beer without a license, I;
dumping trash on right of way,
I; expired MVI sticker, 3;
Biggest Crappie to
Bring *SOO, Trophy
Local crappie fishermen are
reminded of the Chattooga
County Linebackers Club Open
Crappie Tournament on Lake
Weiss Sunday, April 11.
The tournament will be held
at Cherokee Camper Site, Iwo
miles east of Cedar Bluff, Ala.,
one mile southeast off High
way 9. Fishing hours will be
from 6 30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
(CST).
The contestant catching the
largest crappie will come home
with SSOO and a handsome
engraved trophy, the second
biggest fish will be worth $250;
the third-place crappie will
garner SIOO, and the next
seven largest crappie will be
worth S2O each to area
Fishermen.
More than 100 fishing boats
the added advantage of having
a record to prove he made the
payment to Internal Revenue."
Henderson also stressed the
Income Tax
Deadline In
APRIL 15
importance of entering the cor
rect social security number on
the money order or check,
below the signature. If the pay-
oa.
fbg>l776
1976
PRICE 15c
than a year ago when 203,000
were out of work.
Caldwell also pointed to the
decline in unemployment in
surance payments and claims,
both of which have declined to
more tolerable levels than
those reached in February,
1975.
The total amount of unem
ployment insurance paid out so
far in 1970 is about $74
million, slightly below the $76
million paid out for the same
period in 1975
Textiles and apparel seem to
he feeling the effects of
increased buying the most,
Caldwell added. “Those indus
tries accounted for 60.2 per
cent of the annual increase in
manufacturing employment,
। which rose nine percent to
37.400 jobs.” - ’
detention order, 1;
abandonment, I; theft of
motor vehicle, 1; theft of auto,
1; expired tag, 8.
Also, altered suspension, I;
failure to yield at stop sign, I;
improper tag. 2; improper
license, I; no MVI sticker, 2;
failure to prove no-fault insur
ance, I; peace warrant, 2;
robbery by force, I; theft by
I taking, 2; capias, Floyd
County, 1; resisting arrest, I;
driving without license. 2;
permitting unlicensed person
to drive, I; carrying concealed
weapon, I.
Also, returned from state
hospital on court order, I;
following too close, I;
contempt order, 1; without
proof of insurance, 2;
contempt of court, I; court
order, 1.
are expected to participate in
the one-day event.
Local fishermen needing
entrance blanks or information
are urged to see Joe Pless at
M & M Cafeteria in Summer
ville.
Those needing a reservation
for the campsite should call
Stump Williams at
1-205-779-8541.
All proceeds from the
tournament will go to the
athletic program at Chattooga
High School.
BOARD TO MEH
Ihe Chattooga County
Board of Education is sched
uled to meet in regular session
at 7:30 pm. April 12 in the
conference room of the Edu
cation Building.
ment is separated from the tax
return, it is very simple to
locate the taxpayer's return
through the use of the social
security number, he added.
Meanwhile. State Revenue
: Commissioner Nick Chilivjs
reported that individual
income tax collections for
Georgia were up 25-plus per
cent. He added that his depart
ment, during March, issued a
record-breaking $29 million in
income tax refunds. That com
pared with $22 million for the
same month last year.