When Augusta commissioners meet on Jan. 7 for the first time this year, several protocol actions will be on the agenda, such as choosing a mayor pro tem and assigning committees. But the most important issue before the new commission will be to get the ball rolling on a charter committee.
Augusta/Richmond County has long languished under a broken form of government. The hyphenated name says it all: the original charter represented a shotgun marriage between two hesitant participants.
It is time to form a united Augusta government for a united citizenry.
The newest members of the commission, Don Clark and Tina Slendak, have had plenty of time, both as concerned citizens and commissioners-elect, to be up to speed on the next step in the process.
Keep in mind that a full review of the charter was one of Mayor Garnett Johnson’s campaign pledges, and January’s meeting will mark his second year in office. No one has has been rash in trying to move the measure forward.
The loudest voices against progress have either been removed from the panel by voters or relegated to a super minority. Therefore, we call on the commission to hit the ground in 2025 running and kick-start the progress toward a more efficient government.
