[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6185050,"mediaKeyId","5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12","parentId",5083613,"title","Charter Review Committee members spar over meeting schedule and internal decision-making; formal rescind to be set for next meeting","audioSeconds",167,"startMs",3329000,"endMs",3496000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12&start=3329&end=3496","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12/thumbnail_3329000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6185050/Augusta-City/Richmond-County/Georgia/Charter-Review-Committee-members-spar-over-meeting-schedule-and-internal-decision-making-formal-rescind-to-be-set-for-next-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185050-d6f1f658e866e1b8472e40e918b9cf13/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173120&Signature=fDCtDgfdItKr0A1S3la2NGpDt0y4JGSFGb9v9H-FGq5KTy9~VNQ-XRatCQVWtDde8cU-YMB2gNJzUOMx54akPsmsoTUeCZYY7udyUkcn8skOPY40BEi188usP4BZZ6hHuKGK8y9Mmi0Q6jCwjnks7bderpz-0H69Z8xAjFOylIAFwHGvE~LGs9R0mnFseGRp1TStHTOR3pz19VsB~axHLDHtvbWsnEl0k890mMcGYRXfqeOa7Xxj86mLFYu7-qFSLGQcqR5t0pdAscTCFP1Q~afpEdEsKJu4RlQNE3GF9msN7cF3TvZvpDmRKo9Kk5jLsNYU5JZDoq~nKTT5rqA5oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-26T04:22:00Z","article","Members of the Augusta City Charter Review Committee spent much of the June 25 meeting debating committee process after a recent vote to alternate subcommittee meeting weeks prompted objections from several members who said individual members had tried to change the schedule outside of a full-body vote.

The dispute began after committee staff reported a phone poll that had allowed a previously noticed meeting to proceed. Attorney Rex Plunkett advised members that any motion to rescind a previously adopted action would have to be made at the next committee meeting and could not be resolved that day. Committee member Mister Foushee said he would move to rescind the previous vote and the chair agreed to place the rescission on the next meeting's agenda.

Several members said the problem was a matter of trust and transparency. Miss Sheffey said that a subcommittee had invited a speaker for a single subcommittee meeting after the subcommittee had already voted, and she objected to what she described as individual members acting on behalf of the whole body. Miss Barnhill and Miss Backus pressed that special meetings and email votes are constrained by Robert's Rules of Order and county policy; Miss Barnhill said it is not proper to use a special-meeting procedure to change the regular schedule without an urgent reason.

Several committee members pointed to heavy private e-mail traffic—some members said about 25 e-mails had circulated on the matter—and warned that taking action outside public meeting notice would undermine public trust. One committee member said the last vote to move to an alternating schedule passed 10–1 at the prior meeting; another member said they had voted for alternating weeks and later found the schedule changed outside the public process.

Public commenters had earlier urged transparency: James Williams, who spoke during public comment, said he had heard “perception” in the community that decisions were already made and asked the committee to preserve integrity. Richard E. Jones urged the committee to recommend that the county give the Board of Elections more funding for outreach and to improve transparency on how the county’s so-called “splash funds” were spent.

Outcome: No rescission occurred at the June 25 meeting; members agreed to place a motion to reconsider the meeting-rotation vote on the committee's next agenda. Plunkett reiterated that a rescind motion must be made at a publicly noticed meeting for debate and vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Augusta Charter Review Committee","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members disagreed about changes to subcommittee meeting rotations and whether individual members acted outside the body; a motion to reconsider the meeting-rotation vote will be placed on the next agenda.","taxTitle","Augusta City, Richmond County, Georgia","taxId",3794,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6185055,"Former Mayor Dee Kopenhaver urges charter update for efficiency, transparency and trust",2185,1084000,3269000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12&start=1084&end=3269","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12/thumbnail_1084000.jpg","/articles/6185055/Augusta-City/Richmond-County/Georgia/Former-Mayor-Dee-Kopenhaver-urges-charter-update-for-efficiency-transparency-and-trust","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185055-88bd7993896b5711d45871aa73d38f86/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173120&Signature=ablfAYwKjBW4w3-yEbFzCY2y9sLD6HIjSHSV5nfD8oMusZpCWV6NW-72F7shW8nFAMFQ76985oaK1Mtw-hoy~OLVlWuhaDqLRytizqsXRfzAHxsq4iIHb4M~4h~HE-pmn7qZ95WHbTkr5Mm2f2zFFDpEspI-~aAgkrbI8ljP4cNheIlq-Bak32SPHkcVsn6I12zmd1IxOQ1SdsucTsAynaneFLZj~OkYLhafExcN2kfy3msQDkfr79QxKmtutu7VNw97J~FRwFEd2zlqD94~OBsWB6JVXCz1QcaB10Z5CpAANVK88sht44qSt0ZlugjR1oasS9UopyNv4bXjbh4J0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Former Mayor Dee Kopenhaver told the Augusta City Charter Review Committee on June 25 that the city's charter has not been updated in 29 years and urged the committee to focus on making government more efficient, transparent and accountable.

Kopenhaver described the current charter as “a government that was formed in mistrust and breeds mistrust to this day,” and said the charter should be treated as the city’s “business plan,” updated to reflect modern needs. He said municipal governments are most commonly either “strong mayor” or manager forms and urged committee members to set aside personalities and consider structures that let officials make timely decisions, particularly during emergencies. “Somebody needs to have the authority, not power, the authority to make those decisions,” he said.

Kopenhaver also stressed outreach and transparency as critical to public trust. He said the Augusta Stronger Together charter-change campaign won with 74% of the vote and credited wide community outreach, including Spanish-language communications to Latino residents.

Committee members asked Kopenhaver for examples and aired community concerns during a lengthy discussion. Several speakers focused questions and comments on South Augusta, where residents and committee members raised environmental justice, workforce and infrastructure concerns. Kopenhaver cited economic development wins—he recounted a televised groundbreaking for a Starbucks facility described in the meeting as approximately a $170,000,000 investment with about 130 jobs—and argued that investing authority and accountability could promote citywide benefits.

Audience members and committee members raised environmental and public-health concerns tied to South Augusta ZIP codes and to historical industrial sites; committee members said environmental justice should be a future topic of study. Kopenhaver said the community, having rallied after recent storms, could marshal a similar cooperative response in rebuilding local government processes.

The committee thanked Kopenhaver and indicated the formal government subcommittee would hear more detailed material on comparative city charters in upcoming meetings.","Former Mayor Dee Kopenhaver told the Augusta City Charter Review Committee that the consolidated government charter is outdated and said updating it should focus on efficiency, clearer authority in emergencies, and greater transparency.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6185060,"Charter Review Committee empowers Carl Vinson Institute to run public survey, adjusts hearings plan after runoff scheduling conflict",375,5685000,6060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12&start=5685&end=6060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5083613-2165f09b3c76d06d5ce7a12943781f12/thumbnail_5685000.jpg","/articles/6185060/Augusta-City/Richmond-County/Georgia/Charter-Review-Committee-empowers-Carl-Vinson-Institute-to-run-public-survey-adjusts-hearings-plan-after-runoff-scheduling-conflict","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6185060-4dcee99e611eb05de08188e9a2af559c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771173120&Signature=KJ7DBrPjBdAFs5QaIzWhpZ2TQ9XvduxE9mjuMLOXkK2oqif~-bIaB9YsnrwnoqSjdC1Yvbob3z6t3fJ1X16m-3SrEIW8QPR2UpPSA7CtzwCHcob0WfpiS0CFTGpLFhjo~jgALxJx1cFPPWLwHce2xbvRniQlzli2Z1hrasMsTUJau0o0dAcJkbVf8RowLbQY~EHQVGNCwjin3DvDZtxxjSxE9tsT96a8MBClSb7BLXePbNfNG8hADWTuqId5ZuC25gLJGeaq8YoNwpzE6sXlug5~hohkDi-3oBR24Fzbv-PqEBAvZ1Feoc0WwtiZ32iToGvAgvN-sj1BkGuKTggXEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Augusta City Charter Review Committee on June 25 authorized the Carl Vinson Institute to draft a public survey about proposed charter matters and to distribute it after committee review, a motion the committee approved by recorded voice vote. The decision included direction that committee members be given the draft for review and comment before distribution.

Why it matters: The survey and the public hearings that will follow are a primary way the committee intends to gather community input required to shape recommended charter changes. The vote clears the way for a public-information push and live polling options at community hearings.

Committee member Miss Sheffey moved that the Carl Vinson Institute be empowered to create the survey and provide it to the committee for review and comments by e-mail. Attorney Rex Plunkett, legal counsel to the committee, advised that the body may direct staff to circulate the draft and that the committee should avoid using an electronic vote to adopt questions; he said, “You don't have to vote on having a survey sent out. You could direct that the Carl Vinson receive any comments that y'all may have and they've finalized and send it out.” The committee then voted in favor of the motion; several members cast “yes” votes aloud and the chair announced, “That motion carries.”

The committee and staff discussed delivery logistics for the public input effort. Staff and the Carl Vinson Institute said online distribution would include a shortened URL and a QR code; the research team cautioned against strict IP-address blocking because many legitimate respondents may share devices at libraries or community centers. The committee also discussed in-person options to ensure access for residents without home internet.

Public hearings planned for early July conflicted with Richmond County early voting for a state Public Service Commission runoff and several recreation centers that serve as voting sites would be unavailable. Staff said early voting runs July 7–11 and that the July 15 runoff is the election date. The committee asked staff to seek alternate venues (including school facilities) and tentatively held July 21–22 as backup hearing dates contingent on facility availability.

The committee directed that survey questions be ready quickly and that the Carl Vinson Institute incorporate committee feedback. Committee members asked to review draft questions; legal counsel and staff reminded the committee that formal adoption of survey questions requires public-notice procedures if the committee votes as a body.

The committee’s action followed a brief discussion of survey design: the Carl Vinson team recommended narrowly focused questions that yield actionable results and recommended allowing members of the public to answer at community sites where device sharing is expected. The committee asked staff to post materials on the website and to provide QR codes and shortened links for in-person and online distribution.

Looking ahead: Staff will try to finalize a draft survey for committee review within days; distribution timelines and public hearing locations remain subject to staff confirmation based on the July election calendar and facility availability.","The Augusta City Charter Review Committee voted to authorize the Carl Vinson Institute to draft and distribute a public survey and to review distribution feedback; public hearings were rescheduled after early-voting sites were blocked by a state runoff.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Charter Review Committee members spar over meeting schedule and internal decision-making; formal rescind to be set for next meeting

Former Mayor Dee Kopenhaver urges charter update for efficiency, transparency and trust

Charter Review Committee empowers Carl Vinson Institute to run public survey, adjusts hearings plan after runoff scheduling conflict