Ahead of District 2 runoff, Augusta Commission candidates tout empathy, communication skills
A 5-5 Augusta Commission tie blocked the renovation of a popular community center, after construction cost increases sent the project over budget.
The two women running in the nonpartisan June 21 runoff to represent District 2 each say they have the skill set to build consensus and help the group make sound decisions. Realtor Stacy Pulliam crushed the six-way election May 24 with nearly 46% of the vote, but second-place finisher Von Pouncey, an educator and nonprofit owner, said “school’s out” and the game is on as the pair head to the runoff.
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Von Pouncey cites her empathy skills
Pouncey said empathy is a tool she’s honed in life. Her experience teaching high school and in higher education will help her relate to and persuade other members of the commission who represent the diverse interests of Augusta residents, she said.
“As I look across all of Augusta-Richmond County, there are not many pockets of people that I cannot identify with because I have been them. I have been in their situation. Specifically in District 2, there’s a lot of poverty, (with) it being the most poverty-stricken district,” Pouncey said.
The boundaries of District 2 were expanded during redistricting last year in part to accommodate population losses revealed in the census. The south- and central-Augusta district spans an area mostly south of Wrightsboro Road, from Augusta Mall to the Turpin Hills area south to sections of Milledgeville, Lumpkin and Windsor Spring roads.
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“When you talk about south Augusta, not only have I lived In that area but I've been like those populations of people so now can understand just how significant some of the development issues are that we talk about, or the blight or what causes that, or the lack of access to resources,” Pouncey said.
“But also, when I'm talking to someone like Commissioner (Catherine Smith) McKnight, or (Commissioner Brandon) Garrett I can also identify what it’s like to be a homeowner, wanting your taxes to be minimized, but also wanting to have opportunities to leave a legacy and make sure your children are educated in a way that Is competitive,” she said.
Pouncey said the knowledge and understanding will be useful when she brings requests to the commission.
"I'll make sure that every single time I'm putting a plan or proposal or a budget item forward, I won't just talk what it does for me, I'll talk about what it does for them and if there's ever a time when there is no win-win in it for them, I'll be fair enough to say that," she said.
Q&A Part 1: Augusta mayoral runoff candidates Steven Kendrick and Garnett Johnson
Q&A Part 2: Augusta mayoral candidates Steven Kendrick and Garnett Johnson
Stacy Pulliam says communication is key
Pulliam said her experience being self-employed as a Realtor and formerly as a salon owner helped teach her that communication will be key to working with the commission.
“It’s communicating with them, talking before the commission meetings, like when things come up in my district that need to be done. Having those one-on-one conversations with the commissioners to let them know what's going on is really important," she said.
"And then, seeking out the professionals in those fields, (such as) Dr. (Hameed) Malik in Engineering. And when I say seeking them out, I mean to gather facts, because I understand that I'm not a specialist in all of those areas," Pulliam said.
From there, her negotiating skills will kick in, she said.
"In my career – I'm a real estate agent – and so negotiations go on all the time. You have so many people involved in the transaction. You've got to come to terms with things, so it's about having attorneys involved and making sure the contracts are correct and the verbiage is correct and what I'm presenting is facts. This is what we have to go based off of, and then negotiating the terms of the contract, so I do that for a living.
“You come together when you communicate. That's in any industry. You have to communicate the needs of the people or communicate the needs of your clients. Communication is key," she said.
Existing support, endorsements for District 2 candidates
Change is certain on the commission next year, with at least three open seats being filled and a new mayor taking office. Mayoral candidate Steven Kendrick, the former Richmond County tax commissioner, has said he'll draw on existing relationships with commissioners to accomplish goals that include "rightsizing" the government and bringing the administrator under the mayor's office. Business owner Garnett Johnson said he'll seek an efficiency and operational review, but cites his lack of government background as an asset to the mayor's office.
Pouncey, who narrowly lost a prior bid for District 1 on the commission to Commissioner Jordan Johnson, said she's known Kendrick since she was in high school and has gotten to know Garnett Johnson.
Pulliam said "no matter who's in leadership, I'm going along with you, because I have constituents to represent." But each brings endorsements to the runoff that align them closer to some of the candidates.
Pouncey's endorsements include:
Former Sen. Charles Walker
Former Commissioner Moses Todd
Former Commissioner Joe Bowles
Former Commissioner Marion Williams
Richmond County schools Trustee Charlie Hannah
Pulliam's endorsements include:
Super District 9 Commissioner Francine Scott
The Greater Augusta Association of Realtors PAC
Rep. Wayne Howard
Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority member Linda Edney-Wiley
Former District 2 candidate Cleveland Garrison
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta commission runoff candidates tout empathy, communication
