Augusta leaders seek election on tax to build new arena

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta Commission on Thursday voted to call an election Nov. 7 on a half-cent sales tax to build a new James Brown Arena.

The plan comes after passage of special state legislation, House Bill 230, to allow the public to vote on the tax.

The law gets around some of the problems of a SPLOST measure to build a new arena, like the one local voters rejected last year.

The commission also voted 8-1 to launch a regional search for city administrator applicants.

The search would start within two weeks under the proposal by Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle.

This is an issue that’s been going on for over a year, with Augusta yet to actually start looking for a permanent successor to Odie Donald. Donald left after a little more than a year on the job, and the role has been filled since then by Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse.

Twelve candidates will be found, then the list will be narrowed to seven.

Commissioner Jordan Johnson was the only commissioner to vote against the measure.

He said this before Thursday’s vote, “We can’t rush this process and say that it needs to happen within the next two weeks and just go nationwide. There are so many things happening in the city of Augusta right now, that needs our immediate attention. We’re in the middle of our budget cycle right now, we have right sizing, the city just fled a couple of days ago, and so at the end of the day, let’s focus on some of the bottles that we have left open before we start opening other bottles.”

The commission also voted unanimously to rename the Augusta Riverwalk Park to the Edward M. McIntyre Sr. Riverwalk Park.

For some, former mayor, Ed McIntyre, is still an inspiration and a trailblazer as the first black mayor of Augusta

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Mayor McIntyre,” said Jordan Johnson, Commissioner for District One. “Regardless of all the other talk surrounding Mayor McIntyre, Mayor DeVaney, I think we can move past that and I think we can move forward with honoring their legacy.”

The other talk he is referring to is Mayor McIntyre being replaced by Mayor DeVaney due to a felony conviction for extortion, something he served time for.

Mayor of Augusta, Garnett Johnson, weighed in on the controversy saying, “Despite the charges, I believe in redemption. People should be given the ability and the opportunity to redeem themselves regardless of his past.”

He also started the project that now stands today as one of Augusta’s most iconic tourist destinations.

E. M. McIntyre, son of the former mayor of Augusta, said: “I want to thank all the commissioners who are up here today and the mayor, and everybody else who are here to support my dad.”

Another issue that came up was the condition of the Riverwalk itself.

“We need to clean that dog-gone place up,” said Alvin Mason, Commissioner for District 4. “I mean to put anyone’s name up there in the way it looks at this particular time, is a disservice to the name.”

Now the challenge is making the river-walk worthy of the new name.

While there’s no clear timeline on when the official name change will take place, a hearing on its change could take place at a future committee meeting, according to Mayor Johnson.

Also on the commission’s agenda for the 2 p.m. meeting was discussion of the renaming of Fort Gordon to Fort Eisenhower as it pertains to the city and the businesses on Fort Gordon.

The post’s name will be changed as part of a Defense Department effort to remove names that are associated with Confederate figures.

Leaders at the Army installation are asking for city input on signage.

The commission also was to be briefed at the meeting on the emergency purchase of cameras for the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. The cameras in the violent offender pod are no longer working. A proposal from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office calls for outfitting Pod G with new cameras for $270,370.

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