The Augusta Commission Tuesday approved the controversial renaming of the Riverwalk for former Mayor Ed McIntyre Sr.
A handful of supporters and opponents attended the meeting, but only two in opposition addressed the nine commissioners present.
Three commissioners – Wayne Guilfoyle, Catherine Smith McKnight and Sean Frantom – opposed the renaming, as well as two others on the agenda.
Those were to name the Augusta Utilities Building for late Utilities Director Tom Wiedmeier and to name a baseball field for late Commissioners Andy Cheek.
Guilfoyle said the namings are “causing such a division in this community. I’m not going to pick one,” he said. “My motion is to table all three of these indefinitely.”
The Wiedmeier and Cheek designations came up in conjunction with naming the Riverwalk for McIntyre, but there’s been little outcry about them.
The plan for riverwalk is to rename it for McIntyre and name the Eighth Street Plaza at the riverwalk as “the Edward M. McIntyre Square at 8th Street” and put “his name on the entrance of the 8th Street bulkhead archway.”
McIntyre was the first Black mayor of pre-consolidation Augusta after serving as Richmond County’s first Black commissioner and county commission chairman.
His term as mayor was cut short by his 1984 indictment for extorting money from a developer, who he claimed was making a campaign contribution.
McIntyre served just over a year in prison and was pardoned in 1988. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor three more times.
West Augusta resident Cheryl Wilson spoke out against naming the area for McIntyre.
She and her husband, Wilson said, lamented prayer being removed from schools “because we did not fight for what we believe in.”
Wilson said riverfront parks around the country are named for a city, state or river and only one, the Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Ore., is named for a person.
“Augusta includes all of us and not just one person,” she said. “Renaming our – all of (our) Riverwalk is a waste of taxpayers’ money.”
Resident Betty Powell relayed a similar message.
Riverwalks in San Antonio and Greenville are thriving without being named for people, she said.
Powell compared the naming for the Department of Defense decision to rename Fort Gordon for Dwight Eisenhower “because a group didn’t like Fort Gordon… Remember what a debacle that was,” she said.
Commissioner Catherine Smith McKnight said she agreed with Guilfoyle.
“All three of these gentlemen were fine people, but right now we owe it to the taxpayers to do our job. They put us in these seats,” she said.
With Commissioner Bobby Williams insisting on roll-call votes for each, the commission voted 6-3 to approve all three namings.
The commission’s six Black members – Jordan Johnson, Tony Lewis, Alvin Mason, Stacy Pulliam, Francine Scott and Williams voted in favor for each. Commissioner Brandon Garrett was absent Tuesday.
