An Augusta commissioner is stepping down from his post for up to six months or even longer, for health reasons.
Commissioner Alvin Mason announced the news Tuesday at the start of the commission’s regular meeting.
“Immediately after this commission meeting I will be stepping down from my commission seat, effective immediately, on a temporary basis, to deal with a medical situation I’ve been dealing with for quite some time,” Mason said.
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The retired Army sergeant has been struggling with back pain for months, sometimes resorting to standing up during meetings.
Mason said on June 20, he’ll have “multitiered, multilevel back surgery on my lower back.”
The surgery will be performed at Eisenhower Army Medical Center by a team that includes an Army orthopedic surgeon, a neurosurgeon and a vascular surgeon, Mason said.
Mason said he’ll be out a minimum of 4-6 weeks, but up to six months or possibly longer.
“If it’s longer than that, I’ll do whatever is necessary at that particular time to make sure that the community and this commission is taken care of and represented appropriately,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mason said he’s had discussions with Super District 9 Commissioner Francine Scott about representing District 4, which is part of the super district, while he’s out.
“To my community and Richmond County at large, you’re in good hands with Francine Scott,” he said.
Down the road, Mason said he expects to participate in commission meetings from home.
Eventually, “I may be able to participate from a standpoint telephonically, but that would only be when I’m able to do so, and when the medications are not affecting my decision-making process,” he said.
The Consolidation Act calls for a special election to be held if a vacancy leaves a commissioner’s unexpired term open for more than 12 months, but doesn’t specify when the length of absence is unknown. Mason’s current term was set to end in 2025.
The move throws a wrench in Mayor Garnett Johnson’s newly-acquired vote on all commission actions, which voters approved to start July 1. Johnson loses a sometimes-ally in Mason, and won’t have the commission’s occasional 5-5 gridlock to overcome with a sixth vote.
Johnson wished Mason the best. “There’s nothing more important than your health,” the mayor said.
