Augusta’s 85th mayor, Garnett Johnson, largely abandoned the pomp of previous mayor’s state of the city addresses and focused on the platform that he says got him elected: “Growth, action and results.”
Johnson recalled his youth growing up in East Augusta and said that many of the challenges present during his childhood in that area and others remain.
“We need to push for things that improve the quality of life for all of our neighborhoods,” Johnson said.
Ears likely perked up when Johnson announced a deal had been reached with a major grocer and ground will be broken before the end of the year to bring a grocery store to downtown Augusta, something the citizens of downtown have spent decades advocating for.
Johnson also touted the city Department of Housing and Community Development for dispersing $1.3 million in grants and $4.2 million in new affordable housing projects, pointing out the 64 unit Lennox project in the Laney-Walker area.
“We have been working on the process and now we are entering the execution phase of the Choice Neighborhood Grant program which could bring as much as $50 million to our area,” Johnson says.
Johnson branded Augusta the “feel good city” in terms of business and industry, commending the work of developers who have brought the copper recycling plant by Arubis to South Augusta and stated that small business is thriving with the city issuing 605 new business licenses in 2023.
The Biden Administration has named Augusta a “Workforce Hub City” as well as a “Regional Tech Hub,” and Johnson said that would like to see those designations and the federal funding possibilities to keep young workers graduating from college or technical school in Augusta rather than seeking a job elsewhere.
Recently, the city of Augusta joined the state of Georgia in suing major pharmaceutical companies over opioid abuse, and Johnson says that Augusta’s portion of the $517 million judgment will be used to fight the epidemic.
“We will be focused on treatment, recovery, harm reduction and we will be going into the elementary and middle schools with an education project warning of the dangers of opioid abuse,” Johnson said.
Johnson also focused his speech on maintaining public infrastructure, citing that the Engineering Department filled 901 potholes last year, but that was not enough and Johnson said that he favored centralizing grass cutting, litter removal and tree maintenance under one department.
The mayor concluded his speech by urging citizens to vote in the upcoming referendum to determine if the mayor will be given a vote on the commission. According to Johnson, his election win was based on his promise of change and that giving the mayor a vote on the commission would help more action and results instead of the decades-long government gridlock that has stymied progress.
“It’s time and I have said all along that this is a matter for the citizens to decide, giving the mayor a vote does not in any way expand the mayor’s power,” Johnson said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
