One must ask.....Why in the world would someone want to be on the Coliseum Authority with no pay and no one else in the world wanting them to be there? To serve the public?? Anybody believe that? What is the big motivation??????????
Richmond County legislative delegation Chairman Quincy Murphy said he supports Tuesday's vote by city commissioners to ask appointed members of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority to step down by June 15.
The motion that passed 7-2 included a provision to ask legislative delegation members to ask the members they appointed to step down by that date.
"I will be calling our delegation to come together to respond to the resolution of the county commission," Mr. Murphy said. "It's important that the entire group be replaced. The community is calling for that. We're not being critical of anyone. We just need to start afresh."
A management company would step in and run the James Brown Arena and Bell Auditorium.
But authority Chairman Richard Isdell said the commission's vote meant "absolutely nothing, and they knew it," and that the authority will just move forward.
"We have a couple of authority members who said they will not resign," he said. "I've spoken with them personally. I have no doubt in my mind they will not leave. I will turn my resignation in, probably as early as tomorrow, but it will be contingent upon the others resigning."
Authority member Freddie Sanders resigned Monday, but Commissioner Jimmy Smith, who appointed him, said he won't accept the resignation unless the others resign.
"He's going to be down there as long as the rest of them are," he said Tuesday.
None of the current members would be eligible to serve on the authority again.
Commissioners Calvin Holland and Joe Jackson, whose appointee, Donnie Thompson, recently joined the board, voted against the motion. Mayor Pro Tem Betty Beard was absent.
Mr. Holland said he understands the frustration some commissioners have with the authority, but he thinks the commission needs to work closely with the members and encourage them.
Mr. Holland said authority members need diversity training.
"They've been doing a good job, then all of a sudden up jumps the devil and creates problems with people who've never had any problems before," he said. "And I just think it's totally unfair."
Commissioner Alvin Mason disagreed. He said he was tired and fed up with the person who is representing District 4 (Willie Law) and that people in the district have asked him to ask Mr. Law to resign.
Mr. Mason did not appoint Mr. Law. He was appointed by previous Commissioner Bernard Harper and says he will not resign "under any circumstances."
Don Grantham, who made the motion calling for the resignations, and other commissioners have said they felt the need to restore public trust after the civic center's poor financial performance and a series of embarrassments, including last week's fight between an authority member and an activist.
Commissioners appoint eight of the 12 authority members, and the local delegation appoints four.
State Sen. Ed Tarver, a lawyer, said under state law, coliseum authority members cannot be forced to resign by the legislative delegation or city commissioners. They may be removed only for misconduct or malfeasance.
Mr. Law said Monday that a call for everyone's resignation doesn't make sense.
"They're just going to appoint another group of Coliseum Authority members," he said.
Mr. Law said he suspects it is a plot by some to create a board they can control.
"All I want is for everybody to make decisions based on what's on the table," he said. "I have no agenda."
Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
One must ask.....Why in the world would someone want to be on the Coliseum Authority with no pay and no one else in the world wanting them to be there? To serve the public?? Anybody believe that? What is the big motivation??????????
It would have been nice if Mr Murphy had had his epiphany earlier in the year when he supported the current authority as it stands. He has no legal recourse now but to wait 'til next year to fix the problem that's been around forever. Let's try to be a little more aware Quincey.
Lord Help us. The age make up of these members will always have racial discord. I wonder has Woody been to any other meetings since then, huffing and puffing.
I thought new Commissioners had the option to appoint their own members to boards and authorities upon their swearing in. If Law is Harper's appointee, Al Mason should be able to remove him.
Misconduct and Malfeasance, that is all that has happened to date, take em out!
Tear down the coliseum and put up another parking lot or maybe welfare housing....Sound good to you?....The whole country has huge problems and these people can't decide on how in this world to run this small boil on the butt of Richmond County....The county is losing police and firemen by the droves and these silly people bicker about what?......
Welfare housing. That's real cute. Take a jab at those in need, even if it has nothing to do with this article.
i'm with ya, CBBP.
The Coliseum Authority has been little more than a bad joke. Get rid of them and hire professionals to run the place. Better yet, tear the building down and put something useful in its place!
The way boards created by the state have to work is that the appointed members answer to no one. Just like the DDA I was on. There was, and is, no way to remove or force people to do things the right way except one. The MONEY. If the Commission was serious they would just cut off the operational funds until they resign. We pay for the place but they answer to no one. Woody was right about that point.
ONLY THE TRUTH asked, "Why in the world would someone want to be on the Coliseum Authority when they receive no pay?" Answer, because they control a budget. They get to throw other people's money around. Big money. They get to hire their relatives for Coliseum jobs. They get to feel like a big shot in their own little minds. They get to strut like a peacock in meetings.
The photo above has a hyperlink that says, "Click photo for options." When I clicked, I found I could not draw horns on the picture. I could not erase the mustache. All I could do was "Buy This Photo"!!! No thanks.
Instead of printing and web-posting the same old tired file photos of politicians day after day and year after year, I wish the Chronicle would publish details of the money that flows through the hands of the Coliseum Authority. They get serious money from the hotel/motel tax. And they get some rent money. Of course, they spend it like sailors. Some money probably goes unaccounted for.
Little Lamb you are right, but the money isn't theirs and they can strut around but it doesn't help their bank account. I would rather increase my bank account and have something that would make me strut around. As fasr as being on the board. I would be embarrased to be associated with them because they have made such fools of themselves.
The problem can only be fixed by the State Local Deligation. Abolish the Colisuem Authority completely, let the put the JBA under and existing department. Allow the venues to run as many other governments run theirs. Eliminate the waste of a CA that is not needed, nor brings any value to the equation. If the Civic Center has not paid for itself, it never will. Forget about past abuse and waste, look forward. Professional management could promote national acts, but we would still need local people to do maintenance and facility management (stagehands, lighting, staging, setting up the ice floor, etc.). The tax money could still be directed to JBA to keep the county from totally funding the facility. Abolish the CA and remove the waste.
Mr Owens - Thanks again for chiming in with a voice of reason and experience. We appreciate it.
I blame George W. Bush.
The best way to get rid of Law is move the law suit against him forward to the court. Rules of appointments should be changed to allow removal. I would say that Fennoy and Law meet the removal criteria of malfeasance and misconduct, respectively.
Why in the world should the citizens of Richmond County stand for any commission or board that can't be removed? Sounds like politics as usual in RC. The civic center had been there for about 25 years and never turned a profit. Hello? Turn it over to someone who can run it or tear it down!!!
The finger pointing reads wonderful but will only lead to death and destruction. John 10:10. Be sure that the HOUR has not slipped upon you speedily in the midst of the fingerpointing and backbiting. Read Galatians. "I will have the FINAL say so," saith the Lord. Read Deuteronomy 32:39.Be Ready!!! Your murmurming and complaining needs to cease immediately. The end of time is at hand. Have you not seen the signs of the times? America must REPENT IMMEDIATELY. ROMANS 10:9,10
Keep your bible-thumpin' out of here! Stupidometry 101; 01
Sons of God mentioned in the Bible ONLY for those Born Again Believers are you?
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
I do agree however, that's not a good screen name.
A son of God. Not The One and Only.
relax, tall2, you are acting like an oversensitive liberal. next thing you know you'll be telling christian to capitalize the first letter of his/her screenname...
That's what John 1:12 says, anyone who THINKS he's the Son of God as in NOW is seriously spiritually retarded, and need deliverance.
(groan) this gospel assault has got to stop.
This whole thing is so stupid and embarrassing. They should all just quit so as to salvage at least a small amount of dignity.
Nothing wrong with the Gospel.
How about this...stick to the topic of the article. I would rather not see biblical verses as discussion unless it concerns the topic. I'm not knocking anyone's religion but there is a time and place for it and this particular article has neither.
But that's just it you can talk about religion at anytime doesn't matter the subject matter.
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