Reverend James Williams, a community resident, told the Charter Review Committee that many residents fear the charter review could reduce Black representation on the Augusta Richmond County commission and that public meetings have suffered from poor decorum. “I was somewhat disturbed by the way that I saw and the way things were handled managerially,” Williams said, expressing worry that discussion of reducing seats or redistricting would “diminish somewhat the Black community in its representation.”

The committee repeatedly responded that no formal plan to reduce the commission’s size or mandate redistricting has been adopted. Committee member Rod Pearson asked Williams to define “diminish,” and several committee members, including Lee Powell and Coach Bryant, told the public they had not discussed mandating a reduction in seats. “There is no movement afoot to diminish anything,” the chair told the room, adding that the committee’s work focuses on devising a system that helps the county work together.

Other speakers stressed the difference between race-based assumptions and political alignment. Committee member Miss Robinson said she wanted the group to “get past” race-based framing and focus on processes that fit a growing city; she noted most comparable cities have larger commissions. Moses Todd, a long-time resident, urged the committee to watch for socioeconomic inequities that can overlap with race and to ensure recommendations will be acceptable to voters.

Several committee members said public concern has been amplified by social media and letters circulated before the committee met. Powell and others told speakers they would notify the public if subcommittees address redistricting. At least two members asked that any future redistricting discussion be conducted in subcommittee with public notice.

The discussion reflected a broader worry about public trust. Multiple speakers urged clearer communication and district-level outreach so residents understand how recommendations would reach voters and what legislative steps follow committee decisions. Coach Bryant asked the Carl Vinson Institute to publish a simple chart explaining the process from committee recommendation to possible legislative action and voter referendum.

Ending: Committee members emphasized that no binding decisions on reducing commission size or forcing redistricting have been made; members repeatedly encouraged continued public engagement and said detailed proposals would be developed and discussed in subcommittees and brought back to the full committee for consideration.