Augusta Commission votes to ask delegation to pursue council-manager charter change after heated public comment

The Augusta Richmond County Commission voted March 9 to ask the local legislative delegation to introduce local legislation that would allow voters to decide whether to adopt a county-manager (council-manager) form of government on the November 2026 ballot. The motion, offered by Commissioner Bridal Garrett, passed after a roll-call vote following more than two hours of public comment and commissioner questions.

The resolution’s sponsor, Commissioner Bridal Garrett, said the timing reflected the state legislative calendar and the need to run a statutory advertisement by March 14 to allow legislators time to act. Attorney Antonio Plunkett told the commission he had reviewed the form of the draft resolution and said it could be transmitted to the delegation but would not bind the legislature to adopt any specific language.

The public-comment period included multiple speakers who urged the commission to wait until the volunteer Charter Review Committee finishes its work. “Moving forward with local legislation before that work is completed risks sending an incomplete proposal,” said Zakiyah Mabry, who described concerns about transparency, missing redlines and unanswered questions about how a manager would be selected and supervised. Several other speakers, including members of the League of Women Voters and the Charter Review Committee, echoed concerns that the committee’s report should be finalized and exposed to public review before the commission acts.

Other speakers urged the commission to act immediately so voters can decide in 2026. Steven Foushee, a member of the charter-review process, said a draft was effectively complete and called for the question to appear on a November ballot rather than wait until the following year.

Commission debate centered on whether the commission’s action would circumvent the Charter Review Committee. Commissioner Jordan Johnson, among others, asked what would happen if the committee’s recommendations changed on March 19. Attorney Plunkett said the resolution asks the legislative delegation to start a calendar-year 2026 process, and the delegation could adopt, modify or ignore the request; the committee’s final report, if issued, would still be available to the delegation.

On the roll-call vote the motion carried with a majority of the body. The clerk recorded the vote and the commission directed the law department to run required legal notice if necessary. After the vote the chair announced the meeting adjourned and the commission moved to executive session for unrelated business.

Why it matters: The vote begins a formal process that could put a question about the structure of Augusta’s consolidated government before all voters. Supporters argue the change would professionalize administration and add roles such as a chief financial officer and internal auditor; opponents say the process appears rushed and that key operational details — including selection, reporting, and funding of new offices — have not been finalized by the volunteer Charter Review Committee.

What’s next: The law department was authorized to run the statutory advertisement needed to initiate local legislation. The Commission and the Charter Review Committee are slated to continue separate tracks: the committee was expected to meet on March 19 to complete its deliberations while the delegation considers whether to introduce local legislation.