Despite a policy outlined in the city code giving the Augusta mayor a hand in choosing the city administrator, if history is a guide, Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. will likely have little to no input on who will replace outgoing Administrator Odie Donald II.
Donald, who has served just over one year in the position, tendered his resignation to the Augusta Commission on Feb. 2. He will serve his last day on Feb. 25 before moving into his new job as Chief of Staff for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
According to Clerk of Commission Lena Bonner, city policy dictates that the mayor be given the opportunity to submit up to three names for consideration; however, such language is not expressly codified in the city charter.
In fact, according to District 6 Commissioner Ben Hasan, the original charter did not even mention the hiring of a city administrator at all.
“I remember we asked (former state representative) Jack Connell and (former state senator) Charles Walker about it, and (Walker) said he wanted to see the city hire an administrator, but it was not in the original charter,” Hasan said.
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Walker and Connell were instrumental in getting the original charter written and approved at the federal and state level.
The charter was amended in 2007 to include the duties of a city administrator, but it gives the commission sole authority to hire for the position.
According to former Commissioner Jerry Brigham, the city policy was amended to give the mayor a minor role in selecting the administrator due to lobbying by former Mayor Larry Sconyers. However, the city policy is merely a non-binding suggestion.
MORE: Odie Donald II heading back to Atlanta
When city administrator Fred Russell was fired in 2013, then Mayor Deke Copenhaver did propose a name, former Taos, N.M., town manager Oscar Rodriguez, who was swiftly voted down by the body. At the time, Copenhaver was nearing the end of his term and could not run again due to term limits. A couple of commissioners went on the record as saying the city should wait for a new mayor to be sworn in before the selection went forward.
In that instance, the commission did not wait for then mayor-elect Davis to assume office and give input, opting instead to push through the hiring of Janice Allen Jackson who only lasted in the position until 2019 when she was pushed to resign.
District 10 Commissioner John Clarke said his recollection was that Davis had virtually no role in the selection of Donald. He was recommended by an outside firm.
“I don’t remember the mayor recommending anyone or having any influence. I just remember the bidding war that took place between Augusta and Savannah that led to (Donald’s) outrageous salary,” Clarke said.
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Political insiders say that the scandal-plagued mayor has lost much of his credibility with both the public and the commission. District 3 Commissioner Catherine McKnight says that if Davis were to submit a candidate for a permanent administrator, she would at least take it under consideration.
“It would depend on who it is that he recommends, that doesn’t mean I would vote for the person, but I would listen to what he had to say. I really believe we need to think outside the box on this,” McKnight said.
Davis’ possible input may be a moot issue as his term ends this year and the commission has, in the past, allowed for an interim administrator to keep the desk occupied for a year or better as they deliberate.
Commissioners will likely begin discussions this week on an interim administrator. Both current deputy administrators, Charles Jackson and Tanikia Jackson have been on the job for less than a year.
McKnight said that she would like to see Russell given the interim position since he spent a decade as administrator, but she says she doubts the votes are there to install Russell temporarily.
“I certainly would vote for him if he applied,” McKnight said.
Unlike the permanent city administrator position, city policy does not include the mayor making suggestions on an interim administrator.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
