metro Eric Johnson
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Retreat!
While some look at the commission retreat as a chance to move forward, others say moving forward requires stepping back
A year ago, Augusta’s commissioners came out of their retreat talking about what a unifying experience it was. This year, participants were using diplomatic words like cordial and positive to describe the gathering, where the mayor, commissioners and the administrator try to forge a vision for the next year. Commissioner Jerry Brigham calls it giving their “yonder orders.” “We’re here,” he said. “We want to be over yonder.” Administrator Fred Russell, who was looking to the commission for guidance in setting the upcoming priorities, said the meeting allowed them all to focus on some major issues in a way they can’t really do in the commission chambers. “I think the most important thing is that we recognize that the budget is something that’s going to require a lot of conversation and decisions being made,” he said. With the commission showing no appetite to raise the millage rate or continue furloughing county employees, Russell said they will have to be even more creative than in the past at looking for new revenue sources, and creativity may no longer yield enough to rely on. They’ve been innovative, he said, but innovation can only take you so far in this economy. “I think we need to make some hard decisions on what we’re not going to be doing and make sure that the economies that we have are being used to the best of their ability and make sure that what revenue generating resources that we’ve got are used to the best of their abilities,” he said. “A lot of places had to make these decisions three or four years ago, and we’ve been doing okay. But that okay is getting harder and harder.” Mayor Deke Copenhaver touted the possibility of bringing in a consultant to look at the efficiency of the government. “It’s always extremely important to put another set of eyes on things just to see if we’re not missing something
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