Latest news with #AugustaCommission
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Augusta mayor unveils riverfront development proposal to extend the Riverwalk, rebuild Boathouse
Augusta's mayor wants the city to get rolling on the river. Standing in front of the city's shabby Boathouse Community Center on Riverfront Drive on Friday, Garnett Johnson announced a proposed redevelopment of Riverwalk Augusta into a Savannah River showpiece to help stoke tourism and economic development. The money is there, he said – an estimated $22 million through a renewed 1-cent special-purpose local option sales tax and re-allocation of funds from another development project that went bust. But the proposal also needs voters' approval when the penny tax appears on the ballot later this year. This seat is taken: Augusta Commission names interim District 4 representative "With your support and momentum of SPLOST 9 we will build a new riverfront that is accessible, that is beautiful and alive with possibility for all of Augusta to enjoy," Johnson said. Specifically, the proposal calls for a restoration and beautification of Riverwalk, which has shown its age since the 1980s despite routine maintenance. Riverwalk also would be extended from the Fifth Street Marina, the proposed future site of an outdoor adventure center featuring a zipline. The landscaped stretch of greenspace would create a nature walk that ends at the upgraded boathouse, which Johnson said would be stripped to the studs to use the building's foundation footprint in the rebuild. Before its use as a community gathering place, it was built in 1987 as the Palmer's Seafood House restaurant. As an events venue, the facility grew increasingly harder for the city to maintain, including flooding and a mold infestation that for a time drove out the Augusta Rowing Club from its home on the boathouse's ground floor. Augusta's SPLOST 9 funding requests includes $5 million to restore and enhance the current Riverwalk and $3 million to extend it, Johnson said. The new boathouse, he said, could be funded through $14 million taken from a $93 million mixed-use development that commissioners authorized in 2017 to refurbish the old depot on Reynolds Street. The development, which included a parking deck for global tech company Unisys, never materialized, and the Augusta Downtown Development Authority voted in 2020 to terminate its agreement with Alabama developer BLOC Global. "The funding is already earmarked and can be reappropriated to support this visionary, community-focused project," Johnson said. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta mayor proposes riverfront revamp with $22 million in funding Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This seat is taken: Augusta Commission names interim District 4 representative
A former political candidate is finally filling the Augusta Commission seat she sought 18 years ago. Tanya Barnhill Turnley will serve part of the unexpired term of former Augusta District 4 Commissioner Alvin Mason, who resigned abruptly in June during a commission meeting after citing personal health concerns. With more than a year left on Mason's term of office, a special Nov. 4 election, only for District 4 voters, will decide who serves the remainder of Mason's term through the end of 2026. Turnley, 68, is a marketing executive who runs TM Consultants in Hephzibah. She ran for the District 4 seat in 2007 against incumbent Bernard Harper. After her elimination in the race spurred a runoff, she backed former opponent Mason. In subsequent local elections, she was Mason's campaign manager. A message from God: Augusta commissioner abruptly resigns, citing health concerns This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Nov. 4 election slated to select new District 4 Augusta commissioner Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Augusta commission looks to fill empty seat Tuesday
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Alvin Mason said goodbye to the Augusta commission five weeks ago, and now there's a call for city leaders to do their job and fill the seat.'We got a lot of things on the table that the community is depending on us to make decisions on and having such a gap like that in District Four, we owe it to everyone involved to get the process moving,' said Commissioner Don get the commission back to full strength, six commissioners need to approve a nominee .'We're going to go in tomorrow to the meeting and listen to the nominations. We might take action tomorrow and we might not,' said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne the commission appoints to replace Mason will see a lot of election action if they want to remain in the seat, because there will be a special election this year and the seat is up again next year.'So whoever is appointed, we would have to have a special election in November, so they would have to run for that, and then they would have to turn around and run again in May,' said Election Director Travis Doss.'Whoever decides to run will be pressed with you have to run in November, you'll have to run in May, so it's going to be not an easy challenge for somebody,' said times, commissioners can't come to an agreement, but city leaders believe there will be a decision at Tuesday's meeting.'I'm optimistic about that. I'm optimistic that all realize that with everything we have on the table, that we got to get this filled,' said Clark. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Looking at Augusta's big issues with Commissioner Francine Scott
AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF) Francine Scott is our guest on this edition of The Means Report. She represents Super District 9 on the Augusta Commission. She will talk to us about issues that impact her district as well as the entire community. From the arena naming to the state of our jails, we cover a lot of ground. Watch our interview and find out what's happening in the Augusta area. Be sure to join us for The Means Report. We are on Monday afternoon at 12:30 on NewsChannel 6. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Augusta commissioner comments on job in Burke County government
WAYNESBORO, Ga. (WJBF) – An Augusta city leader says his new job is not a conflict. The new elections supervisor in Burke County is Augusta Commissioner Brandon Garrett. Garrett says he's checked with the State and the City attorney, and working for one county while being a member of the governing body of another is not a violation of his oath of office. 'I work for a county, they pay me for the work that I do. I'm not the holder of any public funds which is what the oath actually says, so there is not conflict of interest even with me being Supervisor of Elections down here. Has zero to do with my work in Augusta as a commissioner,' said Garrett. Garrett says he does not plan to move and leave Richmond County and he is not going to resign from the commission before his term ends. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
