City leaders clarify there is a procedure for adopting resolutions, after former Mayor says it didn’t exist

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta voters will soon decide whether Mayor Garnett Johnson should get the chance to vote on commission matters.

In April 2023, Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill to put that decision in the hands of Augusta voters.

But now questions are being raised about the procedure that city leaders have to follow.

Last week, Reverend James Williams shared that he and HOPE (Helping Our People Excel) believed that the Commission “violated their own procedures” by sending that referendum to Atlanta – without having a discussion during a public meeting.

Former Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver told NewsChannel 6 that the procedure Williams referred to did not exist, but city leaders say otherwise.

“There is absolutely a procedure for us to follow where resolutions and ordinances are concerned,” said District 1 Commissioner Jordan Johnson.

The document says that every resolution that the Commission considers adopting must be presented and introduced in writing.

According to Johnson, once the idea is presented, the resolution must go through a legal review and then certified by a clerk.

But he says that these rules and others were not followed during this process.

“All types of processes were mismanaged when this idea went to Atlanta for a review from the legislature and the Governor,” Johnson said. “I don’t even understand how it could have gotten this far down the road when the resolution itself was illegal. It was not something that was permitted by this government.”

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Last week, former Mayor Deke Copenhaver said that procedure didn’t exist.

After seeing the document, he says that official action was not taken by the commission, because the referendum came from the Mayor’s office.

“I’ve looked at it, but nothing stops the mayor from passing his own resolution,” said Copenhaver. “It was on his letterhead, not the commission’s letterhead. It was a letter from him, from the mayor’s office, he did get legal clarity on this – signed on by five commissioners in support.”

The resolution sent from the mayor’s office was signed off by Mayor Johnson along with 5 other commissioners.

Those include District 3 Commissioner Catherine Smith-McKnight, District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason, District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom, District 8 Commissioner Brandon Garrett, and District 10 Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle.

Commissioner Johnson’s name was not one of the five on the letter, saying part of the reason why is because he was not in the discussion.

“I wasn’t asked about whether this was the best route to take,” said Johnson. “I am not opposed to revising our charter. I actually supported a charter review committee back in 2023, but I was shot down by some of the same people who are calling for a charter review now.”

But he says another reason is because of the lack of transparency to the entire commission.

“The fact of the matter is the rules were not followed, this has not been transparent, and instead of following the rules, the mayor’s office and others are trying to change the entire structure of the government to not have to follow the rules, and I think that is absolutely disheartening,” Johnson said.

Johnson adds that if voters decide that the Mayor should vote, it wouldn’t improve the system.

“What you would simply have is 11 commissioners at that point, and you don’t need 11 commissioners. I think what we need to have is to have clear roles defined as to who’s responsible for what in this government,” said Johnson.

Voters will make the final decision at the primary election on May 21st.

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