I was asked the other day what changes to the Augusta-Richmond County Charter might help District 8 or, for that matter, the entire City of Augusta.
Point #1: To set the stage for the question without even attempting an answer let me define Augusta/Richmond County District 8. Better yet, let’s “Educomate” us on Augusta’s 10 districts so we can understand better the varying and diverse needs of different voting districts.
Point #2: Examining the question further, what in the heck is the Augusta-Richmond County Charter? And why are we looking at changing or reviewing it?
Then Point #3: I will voice my opinion on the effects of a Charter change.
To Point #1, simply stated, Richmond County is divided into 8 geographical districts. People far more calculating than me have studied and schemed to lobby for geographical districts to include certain racial, political and otherwise like minded voting blocks. They use a tool called gerrymandering to snake district boundaries to include constituents into one block based on Race. Yep, I said it. In an age of Equality, we build City Districts based on the color of a person’s skin. If you don’t believe me, here is District 2 map. I also give a link to all district maps from Augustaga.gov.
https://appweb2.augustaga.gov/commission/docs/redistricting/district_2_11x17.pdf
https://www.augustaga.gov/1470/Existing-Districts
District 9 and District 10 are called super districts. Each encompasses four of the 8 districts so any resident has two voices on the Augusta Commission.
That said, District 8 is rural, country and abuts Burke County. We are not an urban center, we don’t ride busses nor walk to grocery stores (well some do of necessity), nor demand a high volume of city services beyond pothole repairs in lieu of repavement. Guess what we do! We pay the mess out of some taxes. We are property owners out here, not absentee landlords or corporate apartment owners processing Section 8 payments. But it sure seems as we are the one’s paying in to the system with the least benefit.
To Point #2, a history lesson for the low educated reader, no offense intended. The Augusta-Richmond County Charter was a document hammered out back in 1994, approved by voter referendum to consolidate the City of Augusta with Richmond County. See, what had happened was the City of Augusta had got itself in a bad place moneywise chasing dreams, and the County of Richmond had sacks of money put back that would solve the City’s financial shortcomings. After consolidation, the Water Department became the piggy bank until all the squeal was gone. Then we started having water problems and all the buzz became Infrastructure.
But here was one of the problems, a nasty one no one wants to talk about. Just because we don’t want to talk about it don’t make it untrue nor make it go away. Back to that age old issue MLK preached on….the color of ones skin! Yep, I said it! That ole bugger of race. Not the content of one’s character, but the color of their skin raised its ugly head.
So the charter was carefully crafted to reduce the power of the mayor (who happened to be a white guy at the time) and gerrymandering was used to split districts as four White and four Black until it wasn’t. Now in all fairness, Augusta had a Black mayor from 1981 til 1984, but it ended poorly for him and Augusta.
To prove the point that race was a strong consideration, there was an unspoken “Gentlemen’s” agreement the Mayor Pro Tem would always be the opposite skin color of the Mayor. How’s that for colorblind for ya? If you don’t believe me on this, just go back in time and see it has almost always been that way. And in all fairness the good ole White boys were just as complicit as were the Black power brokers of the time.
Point #3 – Answer the question of how a charter change can benefit Augusta/Richmond County.
The charter is 98% good and sets the rules for departments, structure and about everything else you could imagine for nuts and bolts of a government. Consisting of 15 Articles written on 153 pages, it attempts to spell out how every board, commission, department and governmental entity should run. When followed as written, stuff runs as good as government can, until it doesn’t.
But when the charter is tossed aside, disregarded or otherwise trampled underfoot the wheels of government become a bit wobbly. This is usually when ulterior motives or self-serving agendas rise above the need of Augusta and her residents.
A prime example of disregard for the charter I witnessed on the Aviation Commission was when a certain Augusta commissioner started showing up at Aviation Commission meetings. Called himself an ex officio member. During meetings, this commissioner had a comment or change or word of wisdom on every item brought up. So much so it became both noticeable and aggravating to watch. In search of why any commissioner, much less the one in question, would be an ex officio member of the Aviation Commission, I studied the Consolidation Charter.
I found the allocation for an ex officio member to be spelled out:
Sec. 1-3-2. – Mayor to be ex officio member; member to serve without compensation.
The mayor shall be an ex officio member of the Augusta Aviation Commission and all other members of such commission shall serve without compensation.
I reached out to the chairman at the time and was met with little enthusiasm to pursue. So, I reached out to Hizzoner and ask why this commissioner was sitting in as an ex officio member. What I got was some gobbledegook about current practice of the commission, Sias being Sias, yadi yadi yada. Not long after there occurred a thing the news named “Furnituregate”, an attempt to buy new furniture for the Airport Executive Director so the “old” furniture could go to Jamestown Recreation Center. If you don’t know how that story ended, it’s not hard to find on Google.
My point is the charter stated one thing and was totally disregarded with less than honorable intentions and results even though people were alerted and knew.
I am sure there are many other examples I am not aware of hiding like skeletons in a closet.
So, to answer the question with an opinion… It’s got nothing to do with the charter.
The key to Augusta’s ability to be run efficiently has zero to do with the letter of the law and more to do with adhering to the intent of the law.
It has nothing to do with whether the mayor has vote or not, It has nothing to do with the skin color of the mayor pro tem, it has nothing to do with the makeup of the commission districts.
Positive change will happen when people vote for commissioners who care about Augusta. Not downtown Augusta. Not the Hill Augusta. Not South Augusta. Not West Augusta. Not Black or White Augusta. All of Augusta.
When elected commissioners care about all of Augusta and will work together, then the people will be served. The rising tide raises all ships, yet we are stuck in a malaise of isolation and protecting our constituency at the detriment of the whole.
So change the charter. It has been proven over and over you can’t legislate morality, integrity nor alter the intention of those who would obfuscate and abuse the public trust for one illicit and selfish reason or another.
Changing people’s hearts, opening up their minds to wanting to better all and make a true difference is the secret to improving our lot as a city. Encouraging those wishing to serve with that mindset, then voting for them will make a difference. It’s important to note I have found that those who can’t manage their own finances are ill equipped to manage our city’s.
I was once told in reference to a church conflict, when members drag out the church constitution the problem is greater than the governing documents. It is a condition of the heart.
So…..charter.. schmarter. It’s people that make a difference. The human condition. I won’t hold my breath waiting on a Charter change to make a difference. We have met the enemy, and he is us.
