By Jennifer Murphree
Assistant News Editor

For the first time, students will be in school during the election for mayor of the city of Auburn.

The elections will be held Aug. 25, during exam week, and will give students the chance to voice their influence on who controls city government.

Two candidates are running for the mayoral seat held by Jan Dempsey since 1980 ‹ she announced she was running for State House District 79 in April. They are City Councilman and Mayor pro tem Bill Ham Jr., and Patrick Dorminey, chief executive officer of the Max Woodrow Corporation. The company bought University Notes, founded by Dorminey in 1994.

While Dorminey is only a five-year Auburn resident, he said he has lived here long enough to know the student population makes up an integral part of the community. If elected, he'd like to make city government more accessible to everyone, including students.

"Everyone is given a chance to speak, I'd like to give them a chance to be listened to," Dorminey said.

He proposes implementing an "open-door policy," which he says would consist of a few hours each day where the public would be welcomed to voice their grievances, and would be educated on how to introduce them in council meetings.

"I'd like to see some changes, like average people being able to get things done, not just the few rich developers in town," he said.

Ham, who has served on the city council for 12 years, as well as several other service organizations, plans to continue financial support of Auburn's quality school system. He also plans to give high funding priority to street and sidewalk maintenance and construction of new facilities.

"I also fully support the city's recreation department, which, with the population, has grown by leaps and bounds. With the continued rise in population, our recreational facilities will also need to grow," Ham said.

Dorminey addressed the traffic problems in Auburn, specifically the intersection of North College Street and Magnolia Avenue. He said it has been ignored for some time by council members, who often blame the congestion solely on students.

"I think it's just been easier to blame things on students than to get anything done," Dorminey said.

He proposes putting a left turn signal at the intersection's traffic light, which he says is considered feasible by engineering professors he's spoken to at the University. He said a left-turn signal would ease the deadlock in front of Toomer's Corner "tremendously."

Dorminey said when he found out Dempsey wasn't running, he decided to campaign because he "didn't want to see it (city government) run like it had been for so long."

"I'd like the people in City Hall to know who they're working for, and that's everyone," Dorminey said.

Ham, who also emphasized actively encouraging the public to get involved in the process of city government, included the student population in his platform much differently than Dorminey, focusing on the benefits the community offers to students.

"In years past, young people have had to leave this community because we did not have quality jobs for them after they graduated from high school or college.

"Quality jobs are now being brought here with industries that are friendly to the environment, and whose leaders take a strong interest in the community. Efforts to bring these jobs to Auburn will continue," Ham said.

For student's voices to be heard, they must vote. Aug. 14 is the last day to register to vote in the election. Residents can register at City Hall or the Lee County Courthouse.

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