(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column of those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Augusta Press.)
In all my years covering Augusta politics, I’ve seen a lot of elected officials come and go. Sheriffs, coroners, tax commissioners, judges, commissioners and mayors. I liked most of them and even wrote the obituaries of a few.
I felt privileged to be ringside reporting the goings-on from the best show in town when the mayor called commission meetings to order and the action began. But not anymore. I’ve never seen anything like what’s going on now with Augusta’s scandalous Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. and six commissioners turning their heads while the current X-rated show goes on. They’re the ones ultimately responsible. They’re responsible for voting to give Davis a half-million-dollar budget, no strings attached, to spend at his discretion when he has none.
They’re responsible for allowing Davis, a so-called man of the cloth, to pay $34,000 for press releases and other things his Atlanta political consultant Carla Smith did for him. Davis’ wife, Evett, identified Smith as Davis’ mistress in her response to his petition for divorce.
No wonder his lawyer is trying to get the divorce papers sealed.
While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, if there are 10 people in Augusta who have kept up with the news who don’t think Davis should resign, I’d be surprised and disappointed. And it’s just pathetic that the 10 people elected by the citizens to represent them haven’t seen fit to put a lid on his cookie jar which Davis is back to raiding again after a brief pause, according to Scott Hudson, senior reporter for The Augusta Press,
“Amidst renewed calls for an audit and new calls for a special grand jury, Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. continues to spend lavishly on political cronies, unknown individuals, marketing, photography and digital entertainment,” Hudson reported in Thursday’s edition.
MORE: Column: Upcoming city elections warrant more attention
Meanwhile, former Mayor Bob Young has asked Augusta Judicial District Chief Judge Daniel J. Craig to empanel a special grand jury to investigate the mayor’s office, and Davis responded with a written statement, which Young challenged in an interview.
Point and Counterpoint
Davis: “Former Mayor Young is now a private citizen, and, as such, he is free to offer his opinion to Chief Judge Craig. However, he is no longer Augusta’s Chief Executive and therefore lacks the authority to call for a Grand Jury investigation as he previously did regarding the Augusta Fire Department.”
Young: Although I have no statutory authority to request a grand jury investigation, I do, as a taxpayer of Augusta have the opportunity to ask for an official investigation of questionable matters concerning local government. As a private individual, it’s certainly not improper for me to ask an elected judge to look into matters of concern in our government. How, the judge responds or whether he ever responds, of course, is up to the judge.”
Davis: “I suspect that you are aware that Judge Craig and the judges of the Richmond and Columbia judicial circuits (based upon applicable legal authority) have recused themselves from participating in matters involving the Office of the Mayor and me.”
Young: I would disagree with that. They have disqualified themselves to the limited extent of his divorce proceedings.
Davis: “I am confident that the Court will continue to comply with applicable law and take every precaution to prevent the Court from being dragged into political issues and decisions.”
Young: There’s nothing political about this at all. This is about the stewardship of government funds and the conduct of people on the public payroll. There’s nothing political about that.
Davis: “Public funds have already been expended to conduct an audit and investigation by Augusta Accounting firm Serrotta Maddox and Evans.”
Young: That’s not true. Serrotta Maddox did a financial review and did not complete an audit. They stated that in writing.
Davis: “Moreover, this issue continues to be discussed by the City’s elected leaders. I believe that it would not be wise for the Court to insert itself into this discussion and may only lead to a further loss of confidence in our judiciary.”
Young: What is this “loss of confidence” in our judiciary? I personally have never heard anyone question the integrity of our courts. I would ask for some clarity on this. It seems the loss of confidence is in the Mayor’s Office, not in the courts.
The mayor and whatever lover or stooge writes his material should know not to joust with the former mayor – they are outclassed by far.
And while they’re at it…
Young said that while the special grand jury is investigating Davis, they should also take a look at the job swap between Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick and Deputy Tax Commissioner Chris Johnson.
“They should look into the transition that enabled Kendrick to get a taxpayer subsidy while he ran for mayor and Johnson to get that huge payout for changing offices – for moving down the hall to another office,” Young said.
Kendrick appointed Deputy Tax Commissioner Johnson as tax commissioner when he stepped down to run for mayor of Augusta, and Johnson turned around and quietly appointed Kendrick deputy tax commissioner. But when the news got out about the swap, such a hue and cry went up, Kendrick took inactive status without pay but kept his city-funded benefits. Then Johnson resigned as deputy tax commissioner and received an estimated $55,000 severance package and a $23,000 raise for his new job.
Do something. Anything.
Former Augusta Commissioner Jerry Brigham, a member of the Augusta Lions Club who was at the meeting where Young announced he had asked Craig to empanel a special grand jury, said he agrees with Young but that the commission should step up to the plate and do something.
“Either the grand jury or a forensic audit to find out what the hell’s going on,” Brigham said. “Commissioners are the ones responsible for public dollars. Either they should take action, or the grand jury should. Somebody needs to. The DA needs to get off his butt and do something. The sheriff can go over there and investigate, too. I know they can, or it’s just a bunch of Democrats protecting each other.”
MORE:Michael Meyers: Candidates and election fuel area conversations and concerns
Commissioner Catherine McKnight said there must be a reason Young has asked for a special grand jury to look into the mayor’s office since he was a mayor himself and obviously sees something’s wrong there.
“John Clarke and myself have tried on several occasions to have all departments and the mayor’s office looked into and audited,” she said. “Our colleagues saw no reason to do that. They saw no need for it. No need for it? Look at what’s happening now.”
Former Augusta Commissioner Steve Shepard said he has some reservations about a grand jury investigation although it might reveal something that needs to be addressed.
“There’s been a lot of money spent,” he said. “I have some degree of concern he’ll (Davis) be gone at the end of the year.”
On The mend
There’s a good reason you haven’t seen or heard from Commissioner John Clarke the past few weeks. I’ll let him tell you about it in his own words so as not to violate any HIPPA laws.
“I developed pneumonia, and it got progressively worse, and I ended up being rushed to the hospital and into critical care for three days,” he said. “It was just touch and go there for a while, but I am on the road to a full recovery. The doctor recommended a couple of weeks of rest and recuperation, but I will be back next week fighting for the people.”
Command performances
When Alvin Mason was an Augusta commissioner in 2011, he didn’t like then-Administrator Fred Russell’s reorganization plan. So, when Russell was out of town and not there to intervene and stop commissioners from singling out employees in public, Mason called certain department heads to the microphone and grilled them about their involvement in the reorganization, the methodology and whether they were fully qualified based on their job descriptions.
It was quite a show. Afterwards, several folks called it a “witch hunt,” and still others, a “circus.”
“The only thing they didn’t do was serve popcorn,” said then-Commissioner Grady Smith, now deceased. “I was disappointed in the downgrading and talking to people like that. He thinks he’s talking to a bunch of grunts down at Fort Benning.”
I thought back then that Mason was a natural-born bully, and I haven’t changed my mind one bit, especially after listening to him grill Augusta Housing Authority officials about their use of the word “suitable” when referring to public housing. Mason and Commissioner Jordan Johnson seemed to blame authority officials that some people have to live in public housing.
Joseph Williams, a resident of Ervin Towers, got himself on Augusta Commission agendas to complain about heat issues in his apartment and fire safety concerns. But when commissioners questioned the city’s planning director, they learned that the city of Augusta has no authority to inspect the apartments because they’re operated by the Augusta Housing Authority. But that didn’t stop commissioners from asking housing authority officials to come before them to address Williams’ complaints.
And when Douglas Freeman, deputy executive director of the authority, and Chris Cosper, the attorney who represents it, appeared before it recently, Commissioner Jordan Johnson said they weren’t calling them on the carpet, but that’s exactly what they did.
So, Cosper went down the list of Williams’ complaints and explained how each had been addressed, including fire safety concerns. Williams is apparently so afraid of fire, he pulled the fire alarm there twice, so he could time how long it took a fire engine to arrive.
Commissioner Ben Hasan questioned Cosper about the heating and whether it was controlled.
Cosper said Williams has a thermostat in his apartment and that when it was checked the heat coming out of the register was 100 degrees and the temperature in his apartment was 80 degrees. They’d given him a space heater to supplement the heat, but he was afraid to use it.
“He did not want to use a space heater at night because he was afraid of fire,” Cosper said.
Hasan said he was concerned there’d be repercussions against Williams because he’d complained to commissioners. He said he didn’t want to get Williams evicted because he had nowhere to put him.
Mason said it could very well be an educational issue that tenants didn’t know they could complain to the authority instead of the commission, and he spent a full two minutes instructing Freeman and Cosper about educating tenants on the authority’s protocols and procedures through training and meetings.
Unsuitable grandstanding
Among other things, Mason questioned Cosper’s use of the word “suitable,” as in suitable housing.
“When you mentioned the word suitable housing … I’m not sure what you’re classifying that by your definition, by the state’s definition or whatever definition. What I would ask you, have either one of you ever been in the apartments in Ervin Towers?
“Yes sir, I have,” said Freeman, as did Cosper.
“Is that something you would live in?” Mason asked.
“Yes sir, I would if I had to,” Freeman replied.
“And that’s something you consider to be suitable?” Mason asked.
“I’m not sure where you’re going with this,” Freeman said.
“I’m just asking a question,” said Mason.
“Yes sir, I do,” Freeman replied.
“OK. And yourself as well?” Mason asked Cosper.
“I have been there, and I would find them to be suitable,” Cosper said.
“Suitable. OK,” said Mason.
“Suitable is a mission statement from HUD I believe,” Cosper said. “It wasn’t a word I collected.”
Mason then asked about the demographics of Ervin Towers.
“I did not bring that information,” Freeman replied.
Johnson said he grew up in public housing and definitely did not want to be there.
“In most cases, these places are not suitable at all,” he said.
“Exactly,” Mason said. “I’ve been there.”
Johnson said commissioners get a lot of calls from people throughout Augusta about their living conditions and that he hoped talking with the housing authority would lead to getting them some help.
“Let’s try to help folks like Mr. Williams,” Johnson said. “You say you would live there, but you wouldn’t. When I lived there, I didn’t want to.”
Brick by brick
I went to see whether the missing bricks on Riverwalk had been replaced, and they had. Not the best match by any means, but at least the gaps have been filled so Riverwalk strollers won’t step into them and break their necks and sue the city of Augusta for $10 million dollars.
I guess we can thank interim city Administrator Takiyah Douse for that, which reminds me of an old saying, “Never send a boy to do a man’s job. Send a lady.”
Sylvia Cooper is a columnist with The Augusta Press. Reach her at sylvia.cooper@theaugustapress.com
