The Municipal Building Massacre of 2024
I’m Just Saying by Austin Rhodes
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Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson wants the city to move forward, and the sooner the better. Tuesday’s surprise firings (or forced resignations) of three of the most powerful bureaucrats in the Marble Palace reflect that his gameplan is moving forward at a pace even his enemies would call impressive.
The three shown the door are the epitome of what some people call the governmental deep state. All three were long-tenured employees who have seen countless politicians come and go, survived many philosophical shifts and seemingly became more powerful with every turn of the calendar page.
Finance Director Donna Williams (45 years service), Procurement Director Geri Sams (34 years service), and former Central Services Director (and Interim City Administrator) Takiyah Douse (16 years service) have all left the building.
That’s 95 years of deep state, and there is a strong sentiment among the majority of those voting for those changes that it was several decades too late.
While there have been successes and smooth operational conditions under all three women, there have been serious challenges as of late. Both Sams and Williams have reportedly gotten “too big for their britches.”
I have been told the pair recently made the mistake of suggesting to several Commissioners that they had been shown a lack of respect and deference by some current and former elected leaders which they attributed to sexism. It was said they had retained legal counsel to consider litigation on the matter.
That accusation seems to have no merit from any angle, by the way.
While there have been specific conflicts that have made news recently, such as the Gold Cross ambulance contract mess for Sams and the mayor’s business expense spending for Williams, there have been other concerns that have haunted both for a while.
Sams, in particular, has long been accused of playing favorites in the city’s procurement processes and bid coordination. Williams was at the center of a massive IRS reporting snafu that has left the city on the hook for possibly millions of dollars in fines. (That matter is still being negotiated, but make no mistake, the city screwed up.)
When he was elected mayor a few years ago, business owner Garnett Johnson declared he wanted to see the city run much more efficiently. He also wanted more energetic and innovative mindsets holding positions of authority within the municipal workforce. In so many words, he wanted the dead weight and the old fashioned ways of the past ended – no matter where it was lurking.
The mayor’s plan was put on the fast track by two advantageous events. The first was being granted a vote on all city business overwhelmingly by referendum. The second was the defeat of his political nemesis (and political bully) District 5 Commissioner Bobby Williams by Johnson ally Don ‘D.C.’ Clark.
As it turns out, Clark’s vote wasn’t needed to accomplish this week’s deep state enema. The mayor and his team were certainly empowered and their agenda validated by the removal of Williams and his arrogant verbosity.
Takiyah Douse, while serving as interim administrator during trying times, seemed to be a reluctant leader who was not known for innovation or progressive planning. Her relationship with and support from Johnson’s defeated mayoral opponent Steven Kendrick certainly did not help matters. In an effort to be fair, she was granted a full year’s salary and benefits as a severance package. Williams and Sams received six months’ salary. Both are also eligible for the very generous municipal retirement plan already in place when both were hired decades ago.
The decision to hire Augusta IT Director Tameka Allen as the new administrator was based on her track record with the city and her obvious philosophical alignment with the new majority of voting city leadership. Much like a new head football coach often gets to bring in a whole new staff, it was believed that taking this opportunity to “retire” the outdated approaches of Sams and Williams was too good to pass up.
The new broom indeed sweeps clean!
Lots of intrigue still to play out on this move, but the elected officials have every right to remove these department heads for work-related concerns, no matter how subtle or subjective.
The political enemies of those who made this move are already spreading theories that include everything from good old boy politics to political revenge to outright corrupt behavior as an explanation for the move. Racism has also been included in the usual diatribes.
Nope.
How about it was time for a change.
Consider that this was a biracial political coalition that terminated two black women as well as a white woman, while promoting into the very prominent, permanent leadership position of Augusta City Administrator another minority female.
While the unhappy Commissioners who are on the other side of this move are mad as wet hens, many I have spoken to in the business community are thrilled with what they believe will be an upgrade across the board and the beginning of a new generation of leadership and innovation among Municipal Building appointees.
Take note, because this single event is the largest takedown of the Augusta deep state that many of us have ever witnessed.
Donald Trump would be proud!
