Charter reviewers urged to delay votes after public says draft language wasn’t posted

Gayla Kesey, co‑president of the League of Women Voters of the CSRA, told the Augusta City Charter Review Committee on Dec. 4 that residents could not meaningfully comment because draft language and supporting documents were not available online before the meeting. "People want information before the meetings, not after," Kesey said, adding that "votes on items tied to undisclosed documents should be deferred today because the public cannot provide meaningful comment on materials it cannot review."

Committee counsel and staff responded that parts of the packet had been posted but that one document with full text had not been uploaded. Dr. Facer of the Carl Vinson Institute told the committee the first page and section references had been posted but the full language for one document was missing; staff said three of four documents were online while one remained to be posted.

Members responded by agreeing to pause action on two specified sections — identified in committee discussion as section 1‑37 and section 1‑30(d) — and to bring those items back for further review at a Jan. 8 workshop so the public could review full text and offer feedback. Committee leadership said additional materials and an updated packet would be distributed before the next meeting.

The exchange underscored a recurring public concern during the charter review process: residents asked for more time and clearer presentation of changes so they could prepare comments in advance rather than react to language presented for the first time at a meeting. The committee’s next steps include posting missing documents, scheduling the January workshop, and circulating an executive summary and supporting materials to help the public focus comment. The committee did not take final votes on the paused sections at the Dec. 4 meeting.