Commissioners' votes reveal their black-and-white issues

It was almost like seeing Mama kissing Santa Claus when the Augusta Commission voted along racial lines Tuesday. We never really believed they were as united as they professed, but like kids at Christmas, we were hoping it was true.

Alas, the mask slipped, and we saw the face of Janus, the two-faced god, looking forward and backward, when the votes on Commissioner Andy Cheek's motions to give the mayor veto power and to change the six-vote rule split 5-4-1 along racial lines, with Commissioner Marion Williams abstaining to keep the mayor from voting.

Oh, they like one another well enough. It's like a social sorority or fraternity where they meet, greet, eat, party and travel at taxpayers' expense, but on the real issues - power and money - they couldn't be farther apart.

Black commissioners like things the way they are and will never agree to a change they believe would dilute their voting power, no matter how many warnings they receive that the government is sending Augusta to hell in a hand-basket.

It's been tried almost every year in the Legislature since the city and county consolidated in 1996.

Black activist Leamon Grier said the only problem with the government is that "black folk are controlling now."

"As long as the five white commissioners vote for an issue, that's good government," he said. "When the black commissioners vote for an issue, that's racist."

White government reformer and Citizens Action Committee founder Woody Merry said Tuesday's performance infuriated committee members present.

"They're galvanized," he said. "They'd heard about how the abstention vote works and how it deadlocks everything, but they'd never actually seen it."

NO MISTLETOE FOR ANDY: Mr. Cheek seemed surprised by the switches and lumps of coal he received from the black colleagues he has supported on measures, often to his detriment with some of his white constituents.

He thought he had banked credits with his "twin brother," Mr. Williams, and others whose measures passed only because of his crucial sixth vote.

Instead, he found himself under attack from Commissioner Bobby Hankerson for placing the proposals on the agenda instead of putting them through the committee process first for discussion. Mr. Hankerson suggested Mr. Cheek was showboating for the TV cameras and promoting a future political campaign.

Mr. Cheek has expressed an interest in running for mayor in the future, and some say Mr. Hankerson also has his eye on the prize. Maybe that's why they've clashed more than once. (Twice on Tuesday alone.) But then, what about Willie Mays? His term is up next year, and he'll be ineligible to run again. And after more than two decades in public office, if he didn't have an audience, he'd surely die.

HE CAN COUNT TO SIX: City Attorney Stephen Shepard ruled in favor of commissioners and against Mayor Bob Young on the issue of signing off on tax-exempt bonds for the Maxwell House apartment building on Greene Street.

Developers who need the 15-year bonds to make the financing work for renovating the 53-year-old building must have city approval. Mr. Young, Mainstreet Augusta, the Downtown Development Authority and Augusta Tomorrow opposed the project, partly because 44 of the units must be set aside for patients of the Community Mental Health Center. They fear it will become like the Richmond Summit on Broad Street, a subsidized housing facility that has been the bane of downtown merchants because of crime and drugs.

Mr. Young refused to sign off on the bonds, so the developers went around him to commissioners who approved them Tuesday. Mr. Mays and Mr. Williams argued it would be better for the apartments to be renovated and improved for the existing tenants than to fall down around them.

"If y'all got something, bring it on," Mr. Mays said to Mainstreet's outgoing chairman, Rick Toole. "If y'all are standing there, and you've got a plan, money in a satchel we want to see it. I'm waiting on an idea, not an excuse."

Toward the end of the discussion, Mr. Young said that on Oct. 28 the developers of the project had pledged $25,000 to Mainstreet Augusta for community projects if the bonds went through.

"Have any payments been made?" he asked.

Tom Gallagher, a principal in the project, stepped forward to say the money would go to the Boys and Girls Club of downtown Augusta at Commissioner Betty Beard's request if the commission approved.

"I thought it was important that be put out on the table," Mr. Young said.

IT'S ABOUT TIME: Commissioners chose Carol Spurgeon, an employee at Augusta Regional Youth Detention Center, as chairwoman of the Richmond County Board of Elections. Mrs. Spurgeon's name was on a list of three submitted to the commission from the local legislative delegation. Clinton Lowery and Harvey L. Johnson also were on the list.

The lawmakers also made other appointments to local boards, authorities and commissions. Dr. Wayne Frazier and Ellis Allbright were reappointed to the coliseum authority. Current member Billy Holden will replace Bill Maddox, and J.R. Riles will replace Bonnie Ruben.

Dr. Willie Mazyck was appointed to the Personnel Board, and Craig Smith will replace Charles Walker Jr. on that board.

James C. Murray will replace Jack Brown on the Augusta Ports Authority, and Dr. Thomas Clark will fill the seat held by the late Wilson Rice on the Human Relations Commission.

Mr. Maddox and Harvey Johnson will remain on the Board of Zoning Appeals, and David Field will replace Locke McKnight on the Daniel Field board. James Scott will remain on the Tax Assessors Board, but Robert H. O'Neal will replace E.L. Thomas.

Karlton Howard will fill a now-vacant seat on the Augusta Aviation Commission, and Turner Simkins will remain on the Augusta Canal Authority. Lester Lowery and Ella Jones will fill now vacant seats on the Minority Business Development Advisory Board.

Many of the seats had been vacant for months because the delegation under former chairman Sen. Don Cheeks could not agree on the procedure for making the appointments.

CITY INK HOPES each of you had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other holiday of your choice.

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