Qualifying week begins Monday

\x3Cp\x3EIt\x27s a busy year for city elections in Newton County with five city mayors and 16 city council members up for election in Newton County and Social Circle in 2011, plus two school board seats in Social Circle.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying week for all positions starts Monday at 8:30 a.m. and ends Friday at 4:30 p.m. Candidates qualify in their city\x27s respective city halls with the exception of Covington candidates who qualify at the Newton County Board of Elections.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EAll mayors and council members in Newton County and Social Circle are part\x2Dtime elected officials who are chiefly responsible for setting the city\x27s policies and future vision. Councils also approve changes to the city\x27s laws and\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3Ereview and adopt an annual budget. All elected positions are four\x2Dyear terms, except for two special elections to fill remaining terms in Porterdale and Mansfield.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EIn Covington, Oxford, Porterdale and Social Circle full\x2Dtime city managers are the top administrative, day\x2Dto\x2Dday officials, while in Mansfield and Newborn the mayors and council work hand\x2Din\x2Dhand with the city clerks, attorneys and other employees.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3ECovington\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe mayor\x27s seat and three council seats are up for election in 2011.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EMayor Kim Carter will not seek reelection, but two candidates have already declared \x2D Ronnie Johnston and Bobby Sigman.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ECouncil Post 1, West Ward, held by Janet Goodman is up for election\x3B no one has yet publically declared they are running for this seat.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ECouncil Post 2, East Ward, is held by Mike Whatley. Both Whatley and challenger Ronald Martin have declared intentions to run.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ECouncil Post 3, East Ward, is held by Keith Dalton. Dalton and challenger Lamar Brown are the two current candidates.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees are $360 for mayor and $180 for council members. Qualifying fees for all city positions are set at 3 percent of the seat\x27s annual salary.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ECandidates can qualify at the Newton County Board of Elections, 1113 Usher Street in Covington.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3EPorterdale\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe number of seats up for election rose to four recently when Councilwoman Arline Chapman resigned her seat to run for mayor. All seats in Porterdale are voted on by the entire city.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EMayor Bobby Hamby has said he will seek reelection and Chapman will also vie for the seat.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe Post 1 council seat is held by Robert Foxworth, who will face competition from Anita Rainey in November.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EPost 2 council seat is held by Linda Finger who announced in June she would seek reelection.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe Post 3 council seat will also be decided in November after the Porterdale City Council approved holding a special election \x2D to replace Chapman \x2D at the same time as the regular election. This seat will not serve a full four\x2Dyear term because Chapman has only two years remaining on her term.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EResident Darlene Savage has announced she will run for a council seat but had not yet settled on a specific post.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees are $35 for mayor and $15 for council seats, and qualifying will take place at city hall, 2400 Main Street.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3EOxford\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EIt\x27s been quiet in Oxford so far this year as no one has yet declared for the mayor\x27s seat or the three council seats, posts 1, 2 and 3.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe respective incumbents are Jerry Roseberry, Frank Davis, George Holt and Hoyt Oliver.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees for mayor are $105 and $75 for council seats\x3B city hall is located at 110 West Clark Street.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x26nbsp\x3B\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3ENewborn\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EElection talk has been similarly quiet in Newborn.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EOnly two council seats are up for election, Post 1 held by Gene Downs and Post 2 held by Dennis Fincher. Fincher replaced John Donaldson in June, when Donaldson moved out of town.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees for the seats are $25\x3B city hall is located at 4224 Ga. Highway 142.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThis is the first election since Newborn went to staggered terms in 2009.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3EMansfield\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EFour positions are up for election in Mansfield, including those of Mayor William Cocchi, Post 1 Helen Robertson, Post 2 Orville McGunigal and Post 4, which is vacant.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EPost 4 was held by Larry Haigwood, who died in December 2009 shortly after being reelected. The council opted not to fill the post until this election. This will be a two\x2Dyear term.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees are $36 for mayor and $18 for council seats\x3B city hall is 3146 Ga. Highway 11. City hall is closed on Wednesdays so candidates cannot qualify that day.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x3Cstrong\x3ESocial Circle\x3C/strong\x3E\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ESocial Circle is the only city to have elections for two different government bodies because the city has an independent school system.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe mayor\x27s seat and council seats 2 and 4 are up for election this year.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EMayor Jim Burgess has said he will not seek reelection. Residents Hal Dally and Hosea Jackson have announced they will run for mayor.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3ECouncilman David Keener had announced he would seek the post, but dropped out of the race this week\x3B he will retain his post 3 seat.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EPost 2 is held by Angela Porter and no one has publically declared they will seek this seat.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EPost 4 incumbent Anne Peppers is not planning to seek reelection, but Crenan Mills has said he will run for the seat.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EThe district 1 and 3 seats on the school board are also up for election. They are held by incumbents Bobbie Barrett and Scott Flanagan. No one has yet declared for the seats.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3EQualifying fees are $144 for mayor, $72 for council seats and $18 for school board seats\x3B city hall is at 166 N. Cherokee Road.\x3C/p\x3E\x0D\x0A\x3Cp\x3E\x26nbsp\x3B\x3C/p\x3E

Source: http://www.covnews.com