It was nothing short of a love fest at Mayor Bob Young's going-away party at the Old Government House last week. Commissioners honored the departing mayor with a lavish buffet, presents and accolades. They said he had been a wonderful, hardworking mayor who stands to do good for Augusta in his new role as regional director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Commissioner Willie Mays waxed on eloquently, presenting Mr. Young with a framed Augusta logo. Commissioner Don Grantham waxed, too, and presented the mayor and his wife, Gwen, with an engraved cut crystal vase. Mayor Pro Tem Marion Williams also waxed, and he and the mayor hugged each other with genuine affection, which just goes to show that no matter what they say, all politicians are alike.

Commissioner Bobby Hankerson also waxed, but nobody was really paying attention by that time. They were too busy studying the chicken fingers and shrimp pasta.

Mrs. Young waxed, too, about the endless hours her husband worked and how he never said "one mean or unkind things about any of the commissioners," like she would have wanted to say.

She also let the crowd in on how she kept the mayor's feet on the ground.

"After he got elected, one morning he picks up his briefcase, looking all dapper, and just stepped over a bag of trash and started down the steps, and I said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute.' I said, 'You may be the mayor downtown, but you're the trash man here.'"

Mr. Young waxed again, saying he could talk about every one of the commissioners individually, when Administrator Fred Russell interrupted.

"Does the two-minute rule apply to you, too?" he asked.

"No," Mr. Young said. "I'm still the presiding officer."

NEW BLOOD OR FRESH MEAT?: People have been saying for years that Augusta politics needs some new blood, and they might get it in the mayor's office if either of two announced candidates is elected. First, business entrepreneur Helen Blocker Adams announced she'll run for mayor. And last week, Deke Copenhaver, the executive director of the Central Savannah River Land Trust, launched his campaign at Augusta Common.

He says he's got what it takes to lead the city and doesn't need a vote to do it.

"It absolutely does not take a vote to lead," he said.

Bully for him.

That's what Mayor Young said, too, before he got the gavel 6 years ago. It didn't take him long to change his tune after he realized he would never get a vote except to break a tie, which is toothless, and started thinking about other things (like escaping before his term ended).

But the 37-year-old Mr. Copenhaver said he will lead by building coalitions and establishing trusting relationships. He said he honestly thinks that if as much time had been spent on doing those things instead of trying to change the structure of the government as certain groups have, "We'd be a lot further along than we are right now.

"I know the commissioners, and once again it's to treat people with respect. I'm not saying Bob didn't do that, but I've demonstrated the ability to do that, and really all you need is six votes."

Aye, there's the rub.

Mr. Copenhaver said he was building a diverse campaign, but you couldn't tell it by the crowd of well-heeled Republican types on hand, including Dan Blanton, the president of Georgia Bank & Trust; Lee Smith, the director of the CSRA Foundation; banker Harry Vaiden; community volunteer Jane Howington; Jane Barrett, of Blanchard & Calhoun; Dickie Boardman, the vice president of Meybohm Realtors; and Augusta State University President Bill Bloodworth, among others.

WHO NEEDS A LESSON?: What Augusta needs is education about taxes, and Augusta commissioners need to be involved because they're the ones who spend the money, the board members decided.

In that vein, Mr. Thomas noted that "four or five" commissioners are going to Hawaii for a National Association of Cities conference in July.

"I don't see anything wrong with them going to Hawaii if they go after, but they're going when these people get this bill saying their taxes are going to go up," Mr. Thomas said.

"Bad timing," member Robert O'Neal interjected.

"I'm saying folks look at every little thing when it comes down to whether they're going to have to pay for something," Mr. Thomas said. "They say, 'There they go to Hawaii on a trip.'

"They'll probably never see the water," he added, trying to soften his comments. "They'll be in meetings all day."

Mr. Smith laughed, and said, "I don't think anybody would plan a conference in Hawaii and have meetings all day long."

But Mr. Thomas said he was hopeful the Hawaii trip would be fruitful.

"They may learn a lot of things in Hawaii that will move us along, I do hope," he said.

"That's wishful thinking," Mr. O'Neal said.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.