operated it for about 10, 12 years and then sold it. It was out in Columbia County. I was the largest taxpayer in Columbia County for years. I was the largest employer in Columbia County. “I own land all over Georgia and South Carolina, in about 10 counties in Georgia. I’ve been in numerous businesses and every one made money; there ain’t no question about it. I was a multi-millionaire on the net side, before I was 25 years old.” A Hard Sell? One thing seems certain: Cheeks will have to be some businessman in order to sell certain segments of Augusta on the idea of stronger mayoral powers, a key issue for him in the upcoming year. Cheeks has never made a secret of his feelings that the mayor should be, in his words, more than just a “ribbon-cutting and baby-kissing” figure. But a large segment of the black community believes that giving the mayor a vote and veto power will only result in a white-dominated government. Those beliefs likely were only made stronger with the narrow defeat of black mayoral candidate Ed McIntyre in the recent election and, of course, Walker’s loss. Making the subject even more sensitive is the fact that Walker, a black Democrat, was replaced by Randy Hall, a white Republican. While several prominent preachers in the black community and the editorial staff of a local black newspaper, The Metro Courier, supported Hall over Walker, it’s uncertain whether they will be willing to support a revamping of the local power structure. “It’s true that Randy has to walk softly on thin ice with some of the people who supported him,” Cheeks said. “But those same preachers met with me and other members of the delegation, and Charles Walker was there too. He left, but after it was over, after we met a year ago at the Radisson hotel for breakfast, I proposed certain changes in the government and every one of them, without exception, agreed that those changes should be made. But they also stated they hadn’t had any participation or any input. “It is my hope as chairman of the delegation that we can meet with these community leaders and get them involved.” Cheeks said he is steadfast in his belief that the mayor’s role needs to be strengthened in order for the city to move forward.
“With a mayor with no vote or no appointing him powers, he’s about like a wart on the end of your thumb or your nose. He’s of no value,” Cheeks said. “And the mayor as he currently exists is nothing more than a ribbon-cutting and baby-kissing mayor. But yet, he takes the criticism when things don’t go right.” However, Cheeks said, a stronger mayor must also be adept at diplomacy, something current Mayor Bob Young needs to work on. Cheeks was referring to remarks Young made during his campaign that targeted certain black commissioners as being divisive. “And I’m going to say this: I don’t think Bob has enhanced himself in the mayor’s office to encourage a whole lot of crossing the bridge, so to speak, or closing the gap with some of the statements he’s made, some of them recently,” Cheeks said. “You don’t win people over with vinegar. You usually win people over with smiles, and sugar, and assessing the facts and compromise, and that’s the way it’s got to be.” Cheeks, who was first elected to the state Senate in 1992, after serving for 20 years in the House, said he realizes some of his constituents are angry with him for switching to the Republican Party. However, he feels they should be more concerned with how he votes in the General Assembly, than the letter that follows his name. “I just say to them, I hope they voted for the person and not the party, because the party don’t vote,” Cheeks said. “As I said, when I let them put an ‘R’ in the back of my name, I was not changing parties; I was just letting them put an ‘R’ in back of my name instead of a ‘D.’ It does not matter to me what the party stance is; it’s what my constituents want and that’s how I’ll be voting.” As for the question of whether Cheeks will seek to be as powerful as his outgoing, Dist. 22 counterpart, he had this to say: “I’m not interested in the things he’s (Walker) interested in,” Cheeks said. “Now, needless to say, I think I will be rewarded. I have been told since then and in fact I was told this week that I will retain my seniority and I’m not a freshman Republican. And I think I’m about eighth (ranking in seniority) in the Senate. Nobody can take that away. And I think I’ll be in a good position with the Republican Party because of my seniority and because of my abilities. “I think they’ll use me.”
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