Augusta commissioners are trying to lock the barn door now that the mayor has escaped having to show receipts for his free spending ways.
A commission committee voted Tuesday for City Administrator Odie Donald to bring them a policy on the use of city credit cards that will bring the city into compliance with a 2016 state law.
During his tenure, Mayor Hardie Davis has run wild, spending thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on just about anything his heart desired, from little things like hamburgers and Honey Baked hams to big ones like political consultants, donations, promotional videos and websites. This year, he’s on track to triple his spending over previous years unless commissioners rein him in and lock the barn door.
More from Sylvia Cooper: The Mayor Has No Receipts
From 2015 through 2020, the mayor averaged $30,905 in charges on his city-issued credit-card charges. In the first five months of 2021, the charges add up to $51,253.
The 2016 Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 36-80-24) places limits on elected officials using credit cards and requires the governing body to vote publicly to authorize issuing them:
“No such county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government shall issue government purchasing cards or government credit cards to elected officials on or after January 1, 2016, until the governing authority of such county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government, by public vote, has authorized such issuance and has promulgated specific policies regarding the use of such government purchasing cards or government credit cards for elected officials of such county, municipal corporation, local school system, or consolidated government.”
Apparently, the commission was not told about the law after it passed, although they had two administrators before Donald–Janice Jackson and Jarvis Sims. They also had two attorneys, Andrew MacKenzie and currently Wayne Brown. If they knew about the law, they might have been afraid to confront the mayor.
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Ironically, Jackson recently became the manager of Stonecrest, Ga., where an audit last month of its p-card use showed many of the purchases had no receipts or reasons for being made.
Augusta Commissioner John Clarke said commissioners aren’t lawyers and weren’t told about the law.
“We have a law department that is supposed to keep us informed about laws and changes in laws we need to know about,” he said. “And we weren’t informed.”
Just Wondering
Do the mayor’s credit cards have reward points or free air miles for frequent flyers? If so, who gets them? If not, why not? That would be a lot of points and a lot of free miles since 2015.
Something Will Come of It
Cynics in Augusta say nothing will come from the mayor’s spending, but something will come from it, although it might not be what they’re thinking. It will be on their tax bills. They’ll just have to look real close to see it.
Something will also come from commissioners hiring people at exorbitant salaries, such as Donald at $230,000 a year, with a car allowance and benefits that push his real annual pay close to $300,000 a year. And something will come from their hiring a new fire chief at $138,000 when former Chief Chris James, a 33-year employee, had made only $115,591 a year until commissioners raised it to $156,265 last year. They also recently hired a new chief tax appraiser at $140,000, with a $6,000 annual car allowance. And they offered them all generous severance packages.
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Something will also come from their raising the salaries of highly-paid department heads, judges and others, such as that of General Counsel Brown to $180,507 and Augusta Regional Airport Director Herbert Judon to $193,242.
Last year, 50 city employees were making more than $100,000 a year.
Not that I begrudge anybody making good money, but something will come of it. Somebody is going to pay for it. Of that you can be sure. And that somebody is you, the taxpayers, in the form of higher property assessments and rents.
While the story goes that Augusta is near its tax cap and can’t raise the millage much higher, the assessments can and do go up as many folks who got higher assessment notices this year well know.
Every single dollar government officials misuse or abuse has to be recouped from the taxpayers in some form or fashion. If it’s property taxes, that’s direct to people. People who rent don’t pay property taxes, but as property taxes go up, so do rents to cover them. And it comes down on renters more than on homeowners disproportionally.
And something has come of loose credit-card use in other places in Georgia. Numerous state p-card scandals led to the 2016 law governing their use, and a former Pickens County magistrate judge being sentenced to 15 years last month for using his county credit card to pay for vacations and personal items.
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Who’s Going to Pay all that Back Rent, Uncle Sam?
Speaking of rent, during the COVID-19 crisis, a lot of people in public housing quit paying rent after the federal eviction moratorium was imposed, according to a deputy director of the Augusta Housing Authority.
When the eviction moratorium ends June 30, and the rents come due, it’s going to create another crisis as the non-paying tenants face evictions.
A burning question is, “If they were on public assistance to begin with, why were they allowed to quit paying their rent?”
It’s going to be a crisis in July and August, but I’m sure the liberal Democrats in Washington will be able to fix it with your money.
Or Mayor Hardie Davis could just put it all on his credit card.
“Every Day I Have the Blues”
The lack of support Lamont Robinson has received from cities about his proposed Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame has his supporters singing the blues.
After pitching the idea to Augusta without success, he took it to cities around the country to see if they would bite on the deal.
In April, he was in Inkster, Mich., where the headline was “Inkster lobbies to bring R&B Hall of Fame to city.”
“This wouldn’t be just any old museum coming to Inkster. Instead, it’s going to be like Disneyland.”
That was according to one community developer who was spearheading talks to bring the Hall of Fame to Inkster.
(If anybody ever heard of Inkster, please let me know.)
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And after all those travels, last week found Robinson’s spokesman before an Augusta Commission committee pitching the same old deal for a R&B Hall of Fame induction ceremony, probably hoping commissioners had forgotten they’d turned it down a few months ago.
Spokesman Corey Washington told commissioners James Brown’s cape holder Danny Ray and three others would be inducted during the ceremony at James Brown Arena.
Commissioner Ben Hasan said the promoter’s initial request had been for a letter of support and a $75,000 donation that became $150,000.
Hasan said if the city was paying all of the costs, there needed to be more conversation.
“We need more conversation because it does seem to be changing,” he said.
Sammie Sias’ motion to put the matter in the administrator’s hands failed, and Washington’s request will not come back up unless someone puts it on this week’s commission meeting agenda.
More from Sylvia Cooper: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
The “Dean” is Running in 2022
Former Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams said he’s running for mayor next year because he believes Augusta needs some good leadership.
Referred to as the “Dean” of the commission by Mayor Davis, Williams said, “I’ve got 16 years’ experience on the commission with five different mayors. I studied the government, believe in following the rules, and I love this city. We just need someone to lead and direct some economic dollars to this city. We need to grow. And I’ve got a lot of passion for Augusta. I love the people.”
During his 16 years as a commissioner, the first eight from District 2, and the second eight from Super District 10, Williams said he tried to do the best job he could and be honest with the people.
“I’m offering my service,” he said. “It’s up to the people.”
Sylvia Cooper is a Columnist with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com..
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