Augusta mayor candidates now tally 11, District 2 hopefuls up to 5
Augusta mayor candidates now number 11 and a commission seat has five hopefuls in May's nonpartisan elections.
"I'm thinking maybe I can make a difference," said Lucas V. Johnson, a Thermal Ceramics employee joining the wide mayoral pool. "None of the other 10 candidates impress me so far, so I know I can't do any worse than anyone else."
Dan Scott, executive director of Studio Farmer Inc., also recently filed a declaration of intent to run for District 2 on the Augusta Commission.
"Our current commissioner hasn't been able to help the community move forward, with more constructive activities and things of that nature, that will allow us to make changes in the community to create jobs," Scott said.
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Johnson and Scott each grew up in Augusta, with Johnson moving to Harlem for high school and Scott spending formative years in Atlanta. Johnson said he considered running for District 5 on the commission - currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Williams - but decided against it.
"The seat's not due for re-election for several years. To be honest, I wasn't willing to wait," Johnson said.
Scott, whose organization does farming and landscaping activities in urban areas, has experience with city government as part of the Augusta Georgia Land Bank Pilot Program. His organization is purchasing land bank property off Cook Road with the intent of improving it.
Studio Farmer recently became a designated provider of registered apprenticeships in lawn maintenance and urban farming, he said. "If you want to see something better, there has to be a labor resource to support it," and the training addresses "the only deficiency these communities have," Scott said, "a skill deficiency."
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As a resident of the Glendale subdivision, Scott also gets to experience firsthand "public nuisances" that attract crime, such as an Olive Road food mart he said is among Augusta's worst. He's calling on residents of Glendale, Jennings Homes, Albion Acres and Olive Road to appear at Tuesday's commission Public Services committee meeting to demand it be closed.
Scott and Johnson reflect an increasing interest by Augusta political newcomers in seven open city seats. About half of the candidates have never run for office before, and the incumbents for mayor and three commission seats are term-limited.
The full-time position of mayor has a salary of approximately $80,000, in addition to a benefits package and the office has annual budget of more than $500,000. Part-time commissioners garner a salary of approximately $16,000, a $500 monthly car allowance, health insurance and other benefits.
There's an array of seasoned politicians, public servants and newcomers registered to run in the May 22 elections. For mayor are
Forest Hills resident Donald Bradshaw
Richmond County School Board President Charlie Hannah
Frequent Democratic party candidate Robert Ingham
Office equipment entrepreneur Garnett Johnson
Thermal Ceramics employee Lucas Johnson
Richmond County Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick
Former business owner Brian Marcus
Retired educator Lori Myles
Food-service employee Albert Newson
Commissioner Dennis Williams
Former Commissioner Marion Williams
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The five candidates for District 2 on the Augusta Commission are
Activist Leroy "Ray Montana" Crew
Former candidate and small business owner Cleveland Garrison
Retired firefighter Ralph Gunter Sr.
Realtor Stacy Pulliam
Business owner Danny (Dan) R. Scott
A final wrinkle awaits the District 2 hopefuls as its political boundaries are not set. Augusta's redistricting committee abandoned earlier work Monday and returned to an previous draft map that expands District 2 across much of the Forest Hills and Summerville communities.
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The expanded boundaries don't exclude any existing candidates but could open the door to more from the added areas.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta mayor's race at 11 candidates, District 2 commission seat at 5