Augusta runoff election 2022: Tax commissioner, business owner vie for mayor's office

Does experience as the county tax collector or selling office furniture carry over to the Augusta mayor's office? Voters have their final say in Tuesday's runoff election between former Richmond County Tax Commissioner Steven Kendrick and Augusta Office Solutions owner Garnett Johnson.

Friday was the end of early votingfor Tuesday runoffs, which also have two Augusta Commission elections and four statewide Democratic primaries.

In recent interviews, both mayoral candidates stressed their experience – Kendrick largely in government, Johnson mainly in the private sector – while promising change.

Kendrick said he'll attempt to "right-size" the government, bring the city administrator under the mayor's office and transform the blighted Regency Mall area. Johnson said he wants to review the government's efficiency and give up the mayor's credit card, vehicle and travel allowance. But he was skeptical about the plan for Regency and giving the mayor more authority.

Where to vote: View list of Augusta-Richmond County polling places

A proposal to redevelop Regency Mall

Of the Regency proposal, which he announced May 31 on behalf of the mall's absent owners, Kendrick said development will follow the large influx of people as it has in Grovetown, where thousands of military families have located in recent years.

"You place up to 2,000 people in a property and all of the sudden businesses have to come and serve those people," Kendrick said.

Johnson cited experience making deals, including to grow his multimillion-dollar office furniture business from scratch, but said the Regency plan potentially creates "false hope."

"I wouldn’t present anything to the community as a plan without making sure the funding resources and mechanisms are in place to get them done," he said.

Both candidates have experience in government-assisted development: Kendrick has been chairman of the Augusta Economic Development Authority for six years;  Johnson has served on the Georgia Department of Economic Development board of directors since 2020.

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

Related: Kendrick, Johnson coffers loaded in race to be Augusta mayor

Increasing the power of the mayor's office

Asked how he intends to bring the city administrator – a position that currently reports to the 10-member commission – under the mayor's office, Kendrick said he'll ask the commission to do it.

Increasing the authority of the mayor's office would decrease public "confusion" over who represents the city in important decisions, he said. Augusta has a weak-mayor form of government that grants most decision-making power to the commission, which has delegated very little to the city administrator.

Elected tax commissioner four times, Kendrick has cited numerous existing relationships that will get other elected officials on board with his plans, including support from four sittig commissioners.

Find out more: Q&A Part 2: Augusta mayoral runoff candidates Steven Kendrick and Garnett Johnson

Johnson, who was endorsed by two former Augusta mayors – Deke Copenhaver and Bob Young, said he was averse to changing the role of Augusta's mayor without getting voter approval in the form of a referendum.

"Any discussion of granting the mayor more power or more authority needs to come before the voters in a special referendum," he said.

Two Augusta commission seats also in runoffs

In addition to the runoff for mayor, voters in Super District 10 – which spans regular commission districts 3, 6, 7 and 8 – will decide a runoff between incumbent Commissioner John Clarke, a retired truck driver, and former commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle, who owns a flooring business.

Commission hopefuls: Augusta Commission District 2 runoff candidates tout empathy, communication

More: Augusta Commission Super District 10, District 4 candidates weigh in on priorities

In Augusta Commission District 2, which includes a wide swath of land south of Wrightsboro Road, voters will choose between Realtor Stacy Pulliam and educator/nonprofit founder Von Pouncey. Both have emphasized the skills in human relationships they'd bring to the commission.

Columbia County voters have no local races in runoffs, but appearing statewide on the Democratic party ballot are runoffs for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and insurance and labor commissioners.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: GA runoff: Steven Kendrick, Garnett Johnson vie for Augusta mayor seat