With some commissioners still wondering why they were not consulted, a bill emerged in the Georgia Senate Feb. 23 calling for a referendum on giving the Augusta mayor a vote.
Mayor Garnett Johnson submitted a resolution asking for the bill last week, he said at a Thursday news conference. The resolution had support from five sitting commissioners but surprised several others.
Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, and Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, worked together on Senate Bill 231, which Burns introduced in the state senate Thursday, Newton said.
Newton said with six of 11 locally elected leaders – the mayor and five commissioners – in support, the legislators decided to craft a bill.
“A majority of them sent us a request, and we gave it careful consideration,” Newton said.
“Sen. Burns and I believe the citizens of Augusta can hear the case regarding both the history and the reasons for this proposed Mayor-vote charter adjustment, and we trust their decision by their vote on this matter,” Newton said in a statement.
Augusta’s Consolidation Act, the document that consolidated Augusta and Richmond County in 1996, created a weak mayor who can only vote to make or break a tie and has little defined authority over the government.
MORE: Former Parks and Rec assistant director taking action against Augusta government
Johnson said at the news conference that Senate Bill 231 does not create a “strong mayor” form of government but would give the only member elected by all voters the same vote on city business each commissioner has. “This is simply an ask for a more balanced structure of power which Mayor Johnson believes will help get things done for our constituents.”
Johnson said his colleagues known to block his ability to break a tie – by abstaining so a tie is not created – were the reason he did not consult all of them.
“At times there is a coordinated effort that prevents the mayor from voting through use of a vote abstention,” he said in a statement. “This severely hampers our ability to make progress in our city. While this request did have the support of some of Mayor Johnson’s colleagues in the Commission, it is for this reason that he did not seek the support of the entire commission.”
The bill was read in the Senate on Thursday and assigned to the Senate Committee on State and Local Governments. It calls for a referendum to be conducted on the date of the 2024 general primary to decide whether to give the mayor a vote “on all matters before the commission.” A quorum remains at six commissioners plus the mayor and a total of six votes is needed to pass a measure.
Three commissioners who have abstained on occasion said they learned about the effort from the news media.
“I found out from your article,” Commissioner Stacy Pulliam said. “I was not one of the commissioners that was asked for an opinion.”
Pulliam said Augusta needs to undertake a study of the Consolidation Act facilitated by a third party, such as the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
MORE: A new Georgia Cancer Center project will benefit the MM Scott community
“I feel like neutral third parties need to be involved,” she said.
Commissioner Francine Scott said she also was unaware. “I have not had any conversation to know that something had been submitted or requested from the legislators,” Scott said.
Scott said a broader study of the charter might be in order, “making sure we have everybody at the table to make a good, sound judgement.”
Johnson said he reached out to most commissioners seeking signatures of support. “Five did support it; there were others that were asked that did not,” he said.
Those identified on the resolution as being in support were Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Garrett and commissioners Catherine Smith McKnight, Alvin Mason, Sean Frantom and Wayne Guilfoyle. Not mentioned in addition to Pulliam and Scott were commissioners Jordan Johnson, Bobby Williams and Tony Lewis.
“I read about it the same time the rest of the community read about it,” Jordan Johnson said. “At the end of the day, if this is something that the mayor wants, he should have spoken to the commission about it.”
Georgia Senate Bill 231 by augustapress on Scribd
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
