Thank goodness the commissioners finally did something right!
Augusta commissioners blocked former Commissioner Marion Williams' appointment to the city's Planning Commission with a 7-3 vote Tuesday.
Only Commissioner Corey Johnson, who nominated Mr. Williams for the job, and Commissioners Calvin Holland and J.R. Hatney voted for the nomination. Mr. Williams said he wasn't surprised, but they had no reason not to appoint him, and if they did they should have said what it was.
"I guess they thought I was too outspoken," he said. "I served to the best of my ability for the district and the city of Augusta. They didn't want a man of integrity, a man that can't be bought."
Mr. Williams' name was listed with four more of Mr. Johnson's appointments and would have passed by consent had not Commissioner Don Grantham said that in the last meeting they had agreed to vote on candidates for boards and authorities individually, not collectively.
Mr. Grantham was referring to the board's rejection of Dave Barbee to the Richmond County Board of Health two weeks ago. Commissioners first approved that appointment; then came back after a legal meeting and re-voted only on his appointment, which failed to receive six votes.
Commissioner Alvin Mason said Tuesday that Mr. Barbee's was a commission appointment, but Mr. Williams' was an individual's appointment. He asked Mr. Grantham whether he opposed leaving the other four names on the list. Mr. Grantham agreed.
Commissioner Calvin Holland said he "totally disagreed" with Mr. Grantham, noting Mr. Williams had served on the commission eight years and had also served on the Planning Commission.
Mr. Johnson also spoke in Mr. Williams' favor and asked them to reconsider.
Also on Tuesday, Mr. Grantham would not agree to add an item to the agenda to appoint John Butler to the Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee.
IN OTHER BUSINESS
Commissioners also:
- Voted 6-4 not to approve Mr. Grantham's resolution to ask lawmakers to call for a referendum on increasing the local option sales tax by a penny to pay for enhanced public safety, transit and property-tax relief.
- Approved on a 6-4 vote Commissioner Jerry Brigham's resolution to ask the local delegation to restructure the Coliseum Authority.
- Approved a reading of the city's leash law to provide for a dog park.
- Voted to donate a used police car to Keysville on an 8-2 vote with only Mr. Brigham and Commissioner Joe Bowles voting no.
Comments
Thank goodness the commissioners finally did something right!
It was by accident, some were trying so hard to keep Dave Barbee out they forgot about Williams. Either way it is a positive outcome....
Good Ol' Boy Grantham blocked me getting reappointed to the DDA and now John Butler to another board. Looks like Mr. Grantham is scared of younger leadership. I would add HONEST leadership too. Oh well, I can't see why Mr. Johnson can't appoint whomever he chooses to be his representaive on any of the boards. You may NOT like Marion but it should be the choice of the commissioner elected by a majority of the individual's district, NOT fellow commissioners with axes to grind. That was the way is was for years. The commissioners did not block each others personal appointments. Each commissioner respected the others and allowed them to choose whom they liked and the same courtesy was extended in return. The rational was that it would cause divisions to debate individual appointments and allow issues not related to the individual or the appointment to affect the choices. It was a good system but it has been abandoned by thsoe wanting to control everything. Pity too, they seemed to be getting along just fine. Oh well, score another win for the Good Ol' Boys.
Great job. The quicker this guy goes away the better Augusta will be.
Johnson seems determined to emphasize the racial lines every chance he gets. Good for Grantham for keeping that divisive moron out of the commissions hair. According to brad.owens, that's what he does best.
finally the Augusta Comissioners had the guts to do the right thing. We do not need Marion Williams loud mouth on any board. Next they need to clean out the Coliseum Authority or let a private company run it.
Brad,
Get a clue. Don didn't block Butler, he prevented an item from being added to our agenda at the last minute. Something all Commissioners agreed last week not to do. As for Don not liking young leaders he fully embraced my candidacy and look at the votes yesterday on his 1 cent tax, I voted no. Don is afraid of dishonesty in leadership, you may need to do some background research.
Oh my heavens, I never thought I would see the day that the commissioner's finally "did the right thing"! Maybe, just maybe, Augusta will now have a chance to grow! Thank goodness many prayers have been answered! A happy day for augusta indeed!!!
patriciathomas "seems determined to emphasize the racial lines every chance he gets", must be your dream guy. The two of you have atleast one thing in common.
Mr Owens,
Having sat in on several meetings with you in several different venues, you could use a lesson in "leadership". Part of being a good leader is being a better listener. It is not about being the loudest. You come across very harsh and abrasive, and its just not an attractive quality.
The basis of a Planning Commission is to have a cross section of the community versed in development issues and the like. It is NOT a political board. Mr Williams would have only brought his desire to control and "politic" everything brought before him. They made the right choice in not selecting him, and that has nothng to do with liking or disliking Mr Williams.
I hope this helps your understanding on the matter.
pantherluvcik, I'm sorry my posts confuse you. Hope you get over it.
JoeBowels, so you are the appointed judge of who is honest or not. I personally do not like Mr. Williams, but it should be the commissioner's choice on who he or she would like to appoint. I cannot believe the power some of you give Williams. He is only one person.
PT no one is confused by your posts. Maybe fooled but never confused. How come when a " White " Commissioner does anything he is not " Emphasizing the racial lines "?
Mr. Williams, please crawl back under the rock from whence you came. I don't think Richmond County can stand any more of your "leadership" and "vision."
Mr. Williams, please crawl back under the rock from whence you came. I don't think Richmond County can stand any more of your "leadership" and "vision."
New Commission, same childish games.
thank you commission, the best vote you have ever done. and i am a black voter of richmond county and i was sick of marion williams. thank you again. cory, you need to become your own man do not follow in the footsteps of someone that all he did was be a loud mouth that kept controversy going and did not help in moving augusta ahead. please don't!!!!
Joe, so you are saying that Don intends to vote for John Butler? You two have personal problems with him because he ran for the same seat you guys did. Don may have embraced you and Deke but he didn't apply the same yardstick stick to John did he? He said that John should stay home and raise his kids. Why didn't he say that about you and Deke? You can hate whomever you choose, and I know you despise Marion (I despise Don), but the fact is it should be the choice of the individual commissioners who they want to represent them on the different boards. That was a long standing agreement way before you were on the board.
Good job!
my.voice, maybe you can school me up on 'leadership' and how to get along with people you disagree with. I am abrasive and harsh when I see the need to be. I am also a fighter that never put my own personal financal gain above the public interest. I am sure that many people like to see the boat stay calm but I am not one of those who will go-along-to-get-along when people are suffering. So as far as listening, I do listen. I listen to the little people and ignore or fight the self enriching types, like Don Grantham and Paul King, that run the town. I am proud to be enemies of such 'men'. I am not interested in winning a popularity contest, just results. And let me give you a little lesson about politics, you can't take politics out of politics. A political appointment by a politican IS political. You all may hate Marion but his commissioner won the election and he wants him on the board. Why should Don Grantham be able to decide for Mr. Johnson's district?
"but the fact is it should be the choice of the individual commissioners who they want to represent them on the different boards. That was a long standing agreement way before you were on the board"...........................It WAS a long standing agreement..if the individual comm. chooses un-wisely as Johnson did, you think all the others should turn a blind eye???
And allow a buffoon to continue his devisive and stupid..yes stupid antics? I say not.
Brad, you do not have to justify your opinions to the JoeBowles nor myvoices of the world. They have no tolerance for anyone that differ from them. As long as you agree with them everything is okay by them. They are a part of the I know everything crowd and if you disagree, you must be uneducated of a left winged idiot. You have to take it easy on them Brad. It is a heavy burden that they carry. The burden of always being right and walking on water.
karmakills123, the elected rep from each district was put thier by the people to make choices for them. Who is Don and the like to judge the appointments of other commissioners? I am not saying that Marion is a good choice for eveyone but the district elected him twice and elected his choice to replace him rather than Don's, Joe's, and Deke's. Like it or not, Mr. Johnson won and he wants to keep Marion involved. It should be his choice who he appoints. Don is just mad about Dave Barbee getting blocked (which I agree was BS) and is taking a tit-for-tat way of thinking. I guess as long as he controls a few of the other votes he can do as he pleases.
Brad, you are beating your head against a brick wall or ignorance. These people do not care about what is right. All they know is that they dislike Williams, some because of his actions other because they are told that they should dislike him.
Brad, you are beating your head against a brick wall or ignorance. These people do not care about what is right. All they know is that they dislike Williams, some because of his actions other because they are told that they should dislike him.
Thank goodness! Every time they called for a vote he would have excused himself to the restroom. Whew! That was close. He has made Augusta joke time and again. Regardless of who wants to appoint someone to serve their own special interest Williams does not need to be a part of our local goverment again. If you childish elected "officials" want to argue about board appointments we, the voters, will be happy to take those decisions out of your hands...
DEECEE, unless you live in Johnson's district, it is already out of YOUR hands.
I love the CSRA, but I have come to hate the politics for the most part. What I know about it, for the most part, comes from here. I would NEVER consider moving out of Aiken to elsewhere in the CSRA.
When they select appointees, commissioners are fullfilling a responsibility - not exercising a right. The goal is to select appointees who are best able to do the job, as opposed to rewarding political allies. If a commissioner selects an appointee who cannot obtain the support of a majority of all commissioners, then that commissioner needs to rethink his choice of appointees. If individual commissioners cannot put the public good above personal political self-interest in selecting appointees, then we need to do away with the system that allows them to make these appointments.
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