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Bentley/From page 1north Mecklenburg. Her opponentis Democrat Rao Kommareddi, apolitical newcomer. In the heavilyRepublican district, Bentley isexpected to win.With her first term of public officealmost behind her, Bentleyis over the hump of the learningcurve all commission newcomersmust traverse. She may have evenfound her political sea legs, enoughat least to stand her ground in theheat of the public spotlight.Clinching a second term will becritical to Bentley’s developmentas a public servant. She says muchof her first term on the BOCC hasbeen spent educating herself onissues and learning to navigatethe bureaucracy of the county governmentand politics. She didn’thave much opportunityto developherself asa public figurewith all that goingon, and somedevelopment isneeded. DespiteJameswhat she calls alife-long inclinationtoward publicservice, Bentley had never helda public office until her election in2006. But in the last two years,Bentley says she’s become morecomfortable debating the county’shot-button issues and she’s startingto settle in behind the dais.She says she’s been successful inbringing community leaders togetherto initiate conversations,and even enjoyed a few victoriesduring her first term.Fellow Republican countycommissioner Bill James, who’srunning unopposed for his seventhterm representing District6, says it usually takes at leastthree terms for a commissioner tofind his or her own style of governance,but that Bentley is “a quickstudy.“There’s no job description tobeing county commissioner,” saysJames. “No one says, ‘You’re nowa county commissioner. Read this.’You have to define the job for you… And I think Karen is doingthat.”Bentley says one of the manylessons learned during her firstterm in public office was figuringout how to balance the many responsibilitiesin her life with herobligations as county commissioner.Bentley works in pharmaceuticalsales, a job that demands a lotof hours, and she has a family withtwo daughters, ages 15 and 17.“My life is a constant balancingact,” says Bentley. “I’m very efficientat what I do and know howto manage my calendar. I just doit week by week and somehow Ifit it all in.”Bentley says she also learned howto work effectively with the mayorsand commissioners within her district,as well as political leaders atthe county level. Bentley says thatone of her proudest moments duringher first term was helping to drafta $516 million bond referendumpackage for Charlotte-MecklenburgSchools (CMS) that included morethan $178 million in new constructionin District 1. That bond easilypassed.Bentley has also worked closelywith the three northern town mayorsand police chiefs to advocatebringing a part-time magistrateto north Mecklenburg. And, overthe summer, she joined the threemayors to push for an amendmentto the county’s $250 million parksand recreation bond referendumproject list. The list now includesmore than $67 million in newparks and recreation improvementsin District 1 — almost twicethe amount the county initiallyproposed.“The original bond packagedidn’t serve the district,” saysBentley. “I think the fact thatwe’re getting 28 percent of (thebond package) is a testament ofhow I’ve been able to work withlocal political leaders to makeKasey SlingerlandNEWSsure that the local constituentsare served.”Some local leaders say Bentley’sadvocacy for the enhanced parkbond was a pleasant change frompast fights with the county inwhich Bentley didn’t really stepup.Most of her advocacy has beendone on the periphery of publicspotlight. Often reserved at publicmeetings, Bentley’s quiet demeanormight suggest aloofnessto some, or even an inability tokeep up with the discussion athand. Yet in an interview with TheHerald, Bentley discussed northMecklenburg’s hot-button issues(see following) inside and out withboth ease and confidence. And itwas clear that there were a few issuesshe’s pretty passionate about,too, although that passion isn’t alwaysobvious to the public eye.James says Bentley’s reservedstyle helps balance the board andkeeps her often more impassionedcolleagues in check.“It’s good that she’s there, thatshe provides a meaningful governanceon the rest of us. It’s notbecause of tenure, but it’s becauseshe’s a quiet, gentle person, theenvironment just changes,” saysJames. “Her views are not thatdiametrically opposed to conservativeRepublicans, but the way shedelivers (them) is much softer.”Your PersonalJewelerMichael MalyszkoMaster JewelerTrusted by LKN for 15 yearsOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!25% Off AllNEW CLIENTSExp. 10/31/08704-895-9300www.HairUntangled.comPink Extensions areavailable for only$10 each!8305-8 Magnolia Plaza, CorneliusJeweler Owned, 35 years ExperienceExpert Repairs, All on Premises14 Kt, 18 Kt, and Platinum Fine JewelryCustom Design, Computer DesignsG.I.A. and E.G.I. 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Bentley also supports openingup public beaches on Lake Norman, and she says she would continue topush for lifting the countywide swimming ban during a second term onthe county commission.The Village at Lake Norman: Bentley has been a proponent of TheVillage at Lake Norman since she first attended public hearings on themega development at Cornelius Town Hall last winter. She cautions,though, that negotiations with developer Bromont for the county to fundthe new, $56 million interchange that will accompany the project wouldbe “a nonstarter” unless the state promised to reimburse the county(which is Bromont’s plan, too).However, Bentley’s support of the county’s participation in The Villageroad improvements is a bit out of step, given that she does not considerit the county’s responsibility to fund road improvements. She says thecounty does not have enough discretionary funds to get involved regularlywith road improvements, and Bentley does not support adding a permanentcounty tax to fund roadwork.The North Line Commuter Rail: Bentley says she was supportive ofthe engineering studies for the North and Northeast lines, and that shealso supports, in concept, using Synthetic Tax Increment Financing — afunding scheme in which future tax revenues from development aroundthe rail would pay off the county’s debt — to fund the rail because it shiftsthe debt risk from the taxpayer to the developer. However, Bentley saysspending $76 million — the current gap in North Line funding — “givesme more pause,” given the deterioration of the economic climate.“Foot and Ankle Specialists”16419Northcross Dr.Suite A, Huntersville704-987-958510310 Couloak Dr.Charlotte, Across fromUrgent Care in Mt. 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