Thursday, June 21, 2018

News 12 @ 6 O'clock / NBC 26 at 7

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Mayor Davis is on the advisory board for the US Conference of Mayors, out of the last four mayors, Bob Young was also a part of this. Davis' trip to Texas is raising several questions…the biggest who is paying for this trip.

"Today is a day that we call for action of reuniting families, families that have been broken apart," Mayor Davis said.

Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis stands in Texas fighting for change with the US Conference of Mayors, a group former mayor, Bob Young is familiar with.

"It allowed us to engage with people that dealt with these issues on a national level, mayors of large cities who had similar issues," Young explained.

Being a part of the conference isn't cheap. This year it costs more than 12-thousand dollars, money coming from taxpayers.

"I thought it was pricey then and I think it is still probably pretty pricey now, but you needed that to support the staff and the work of the organization."

Young says only one of his trips was paid for by the conference.

"I went up to testify before a Senate committee in Washington and that trip was paid for by the conference, but the other participation was paid for by the city budget. "

And that’s extra money, not included in the cost of joining the conference.

Commissioner Ben Hasan says there is money for travel in the budget.

"All the commission has the budget to be a part of different associations, you'll find in a couple of days a few different commissioners going to Savannah so we all have that a travel budget."

Hasan says he doesn't know who is paying for the Mayor’s trip, but he's glad he is there.

"I applaud him for having the vision that something needs to be done and we need to be heard at the table."

And Young says it is important to be involved.

"There were ways that we could come involved and influence policy and it was important that we be there and here our voice heard."

We have reached out to Mayor Davis and the US Conference of Mayors to find out who is paying for this trip but we have not heard back yet.

11:35

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Mayor Hardie Davis has released a statement from Texas, as he takes part in a protest Thursday.

{"People look for local leaders to engage and bring resources that address problems and build our communities. Mayors act and get things done. The problems at our borders and the treatment of immigrants affects us all. As mayors, we commit to stand and work together to get answers and real solutions to repair our failed immigration system.," said Mayor Davis in a press release.

"I am proud to join a bi-partisan delegation of the nation’s leading mayors to advocate for immigration reform to make our cities stronger. As a USCM advisory board member, I look forward to being actively engaged in problem solving and advocacy to address the day to day concerns in our cities."

The United States Conference of Mayors went live on their Facebook page Thursday morning. Here is what they had to say:

Mayors are standing in Tornillo calling for the unification of children and their families. #MayorsStand4All Posted by United States Conference of Mayors on Thursday, 21 June 2018

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) -- Augusta's Mayor Hardie Davis is heading to Tornillo, Texas to protest President Trump's family separation policy.

The protest will begin at 11:00 a.m. Thursday.

According to the United States Conference of Mayors, the delegation is being led by the organization's president, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin.

This comes after the USCM unanimously passed a resolution last week showing its opposition to separating children from family members at the border.

News 12 has confirmed with Mayor Davis' office that he will be in attendance Thursday.

The full list of mayors heading to Texas is as follows:

- Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin, USCM President

- Rochester Hills (MI) Mayor Bryan Barnett, USCM Vice President

- Los Angeles (CA) Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chair, USCM Latino Alliance

- Anaheim (CA) Mayor Tom Tait, Co-Chair, USCM Immigration Task Force

- Gary (IN) Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson, Chair, USCM Criminal and Social Justice Committee

- West Sacramento (CA) Mayor Christopher Cabaldon, Chair, USCM Jobs, Education and the Workforce Committee

- Findlay (OH) Mayor Lydia Mihalik, Chair, USCM Children, Health and Human Services Committee

- Miami (FL) Mayor Francis Suarez, USCM Advisory Board Member

- Miami Gardens (FL) Mayor Oliver Gilbert, USCM Advisory Board Member

- El Paso (TX) Mayor Dee Margo

- Augusta (GA) Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr., USCM Advisory Board Member