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Former mayor Hardy Davis urges committee to empower mayor, clarify lines of authority
Summary
Former Augusta mayor Hardy Davis told the Charter Review Committee the central question is whether the city wants a mayor with authority; he urged clearer executive authority, accountability and protection from factional politics.
Hardy Davis, former mayor of Augusta, told the Charter Review Committee on Aug. 7 that the central question for the charter review is simple: "Does Augusta want a mayor or not?" He urged the committee to define a chief executive with authority, accountability and responsibility rather than only ceremonial powers.
Davis described the charter-review task as consequential and procedural as well as structural, saying clear lines of governance are essential so officials know "who decides, who answers and who acts." He said that when executive authority is unclear, "blurred governance lines ... invite dysfunction, not unity, and oftentimes, chaos." He urged designing…
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