This past week’s commission meeting was very telling on how some members of the governing body really feel about truth, honesty and transparency: they don’t embrace the ideology at all.
The Gang of Five seems to always find a way to stop all real and credible questions from being asked and true facts from being found.
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle was not only well within his right to ask the director of the Augusta Land Bank, Shawn Edwards, questions, he was performing the duty he was sworn to do for the citizens of Augusta, Ga.
Citizens found that many people in positions of government held positions as members of the Land Bank board, such as Tax Commissioner Chris Johnson, Augusta Interim Administrator Takiya Douse, Chief Tax Appraiser Scott Roundtree and Planning Director Carla Delaney.
Do these city officials really need to be serving on this board? Does this not rise to the level of impropriety?
The question was asked who Shawn Edwards answers to, and the answer was the board regarding some items. When asked about his travel expenses, Mr. Edwards answered awkwardly, trying to explain why he traveled to other cities.
When it came to the article that Scott Hudson researched and wrote for The Augusta Press, he indicated some was true, some wasn’t. When Commissioner Guilfoyle asked,”What was untrue,” Mr. Edwards stated he has never been to Jamaica. However, the Land Bank’s records clearly show a flight to Jamaica was bought and paid for. If not Edwards, then who went?
OK, this leads to why so much was spent on travel and food and beverage? And why so much locally?
Before any real answer was given, Commissioner Bobby Williams had to interrupt with the “Point of Order” tactic. It seemed he was getting tired of Edwards being interrogated and being beaten over the head.
Williams blurted out that just because something was written in a digital paper that no one reads or cares is no reason to send everyone into a tizzy. Evidently, Williams and Commissioner Jordon Johnson must care about The Augusta Press, because, for a paper they say no one reads, they sure complain about it enough.
Williams’ obstructionism led to Mayor Johnson instructing Guilfoyle to “Wrap it up.” So he did.
However, he made a motion that was quickly seconded by Commissioner Catherine McKnight. Without the exact wording, it was along the lines that Shawn Edwards would be asked to research and bring back to commission a report on how other land banks in Georgia are chartered and how their oversight boards are structured.
A substitute motion was made by and seconded by Commissioners Williams and Johnson to simply take what Edwards said as information.
On the substitute motion, the Gang of Five voted YES. The Gang of Four voted NO.
On the main motion, the Gang of Four voted YES and the Gang of Five voted NO.
The friend with a benefit, Al Mason, and his vote, had gotten up and left the meeting. I guess since he serves as the Commission’s ex officio to the Land Bank board, that was reason not to vote.
It looks as if the full commission made an error when it comes to Sunday alcohol sales and bars.
Bars that don’t serve food as a daily part of their revenue sales cannot be opened for business on Sundays. Each year, the commission, by state law, can designate one Sunday a year for a bar to serve alcohol. This year, the commission chose Super Bowl Sunday.
Now, here is where the problem starts. The full service restaurants that serve both food and alcohol are already allowed to serve on Sunday. Therefore, the special day exemption doesn’t affect them at all.
New Year’s Eve is on a Sunday this year. Therefore, the non-food serving bars cannot be open on New Years Eve. The commission chose the day for the bar owners without asking for any input. The bar owners, in fact, did not have any voice in the decision. They will be losing revenue to maintain their business, pay payroll and to pay the city government their taxes.
Adrian Estrada, owner of The Loft in downtown Augusta, came and spoke to the commission concerning this matter. He was well spoken, direct and polite. There were other bar owners there who did not speak but who wanted to be recognized as standing with Estrada.
Both Commissioners Brandon Garrett and Sean Frantom wanted answers as to why this was a law. Garrett even made the statement that more than likely the bars would be open in Atlanta on New Years Eve.
Citizens, this means that when there are conventions in town, concerts and even the Masters Tournament, the bars have to stay closed. They may not benefit from the money being spent in town.
This is a law that really has to be changed. It is such a crazy law with caveats that does allow art galleries, cigar bars and dog parks to have alcohol on Sundays, but not the favorite neighborhood watering hole.
In closing, Estrada made a passing remark, something like he wanted the commission to be on notice that his bar now identifies as a dog park with cigars. Now, for me I thought that remark was downright funny, but it also reflected the frustration he felt.
Mayor Garnett Johnson must have found no humor in that remark at all for he chastised Estrada about the remark.
These bar owners are hometown people. They have invested their money and their life into a business in Augusta. They didn’t go anywhere else.
The locally owned bars have a hard enough time competing with the large franchises for a share of the revenue. The law shouldn’t make it any harder for them. Full service restaurants and bars, grocery stores, drug stores, convenient stores and liquor stores are allowed to sell on Sunday, so, repeal the law and allow the small business to be allowed to do the same. After all, it is a legal business.
I attended a function this past Thursday evening and as usual the topic in small groups got around to politics. Of course, I was asked who I had heard was going to run. Even though I have talked to some who have told me they are planning on running for a commission seat, they have also asked me to not make it public at this time.
They will let me know when they are announcing, and I will pass the news along when it is time. This trust cannot and will not be broken. But, a couple of the people interested in entering public service are very, very viable candidates.
The two that I can talk about are Tina Slendak for district seven and Don Clark for district five. Both are outstanding people.
Slendak will be running to fill the vacated seat of Sean Frantom. There is another person standing in the shadows weighing their option to run for district seven. And Frantom’s last year in office should be a barn burner. He is showing signs of who he really is, a leader.
Don Clark is running to unseat Bobby Williams. From the talk I heard, and there were people from district five in attendance, Clark has a better than even chance to unseat Williams.
Now there is another name that is already being talked about as running. I personally have not talked to this person. But, if he runs, he just may be back as District 9 commissioner, and that is none-other than Marion Williams.
Marion and I grew up two blocks apart in Harrisburg. He was always an innovative and industrious person.
As a youngster, Marion would catch and sell pigeons. Most people didn’t know if he was selling them for racing or just as pets. However, some folks had mighty small chickens for dinner on Sundays.
Serving and working beside Marion while on the Commission, I found him to be a trustworthy person whenever I asked his opinion on any matter. Marion has always been straight forward and doesn’t play games.
The 2024 Augusta budget must have been put together by Rod Sterling. It is pure fantasy. A person would have to really be in the Twilight Zone to believe it. I am going through the budget now. I will share some insight into that matter next week.
Folks, as always, you just can’t make this stuff up.
