Augusta commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to draft a resolution supporting Columbia County’s push to split from the Augusta judicial Circuit, despite objections from Mayor Hardie Davis.
Davis contended there should be more discussion with Richmond County judicial officials about the ramifications of such a move before moving forward with a resolution.
“I’m not asking us to hold off … but it’s a half-baked cake,” Davis said. “We want to know what that legislation includes,” adding that city officials need to ensure that it includes what Richmond County needs.
[adrotate banner=”13″]
The Columbia County Commission voted late last year to split from the tri-county judicial circuit. State Sen. Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown, was reportedly going to enter a bill to that effect in the Legislature early this week. Davis, however, said the bill would not be passed during the first two weeks of the session.
Commissioner Sammie Sais added a motion that included a request for a fifth Richmond County judge.
“I am for proposing we go ahead requesting a fifth judge for the Augusta Judicial Circuit, including Burke County and Richmond County,” Sias said.
Davis, however, said more study was needed before drafting a resolution.
“We need to be more thoughtful of what the outcomes are,” he said. Davis said Richmond County had asked Columbia County to provide more information on the impact of the split but had not received it.
“I believe the data will tell us there is a need for a sixth judge,” he said. “We want to get it right. That is why the judiciary must and shall be at the table to ensure what the outcome will be.”
[adrotate banner=”13″]
Concerns center around the budget cycles of Richmond and Columbia County, which are different. Richmond County budgets on a calendar year while Columbia County operates on a fiscal year.
Commissioner Ben Hasan said he agreed that Richmond County should make sure it gets the state judicial supplements due it, but he thought the commission should make the resolution. Commissioner John Clarke questioned the need for a sixth judge.
“I would like an explanation why, if Columbia County splits, why we would need a sixth judge,” he said. “If Columbia County splits, taking away cases, why we would need more judges in Richmond County?”
Davis said he could go into detail about the judges and how the majority of resources are in Richmond County, but it was a more involved and longer issue than he could go into there.
Commissioner Catherine McKnight said six of the district’s judges do not support the split.
“What is all this going to cost Richmond County at the end of the day?” she asked.
“The initial cost estimates do not exceed a million dollars,” Davis said. “Columbia County has taken their position. Richmond County has taken this position. Burke County does not have a judge. We cannot, we cannot say, ‘This is the path we want to take’ without allowing these entities to weigh in.”
General Counsel Wayne Brown said the resolution seemed to be “very skeletal” and that he would like to get clarity about the commission’s motion.
Davis implored commissioners to allow a working group to come together and flesh out the resolution because they did not have all the details.
“We can’t be having this conversation without the judiciary,” he said.
In a telephone conversation after the meeting, Clarke said, “If we’re giving up two judges, does that mean we have to hire three in their place? The question is, ‘Does this make financial sense?’
“The committee that the mayor appointed should be at every meeting with Columbia County and Burke County,” Clarke continued. The committee should be involved in those meetings, so we all hear the information together at the same time.”
Davis appointed a committee last week to work on a resolution. Members are Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Williams; Public Services Committee Chairman Clarke; Finance Committee Chairman Sias; and Hasan.
Sylvia Cooper is a Contributor with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com
[adrotate banner=”13″]
