AUGUSTA, Ga. - Debate over Augusta's proposed TEE center has split the Augusta commission and many say it's become a race issue: black commissioners versus white.

With Tuesday’s specially called commission meeting basically boycotted by half of the commissioners, it's easy to see where the divide lies—none of the black commissioners showed up.

Mayor Pro-Tem Alvin Mason announced that he along with the other black commissioners were not included in new talks about the TEE center. Millions of dollars in additions and renovations added onto the original outline covered by SPLOST dollars in 2005 were a main fighting point.

Super District 9, made up of the black commissioners, is set against the new plans, something that has upset other commissioners who've tried to get the TEE center built for the past four years.

The city of Augusta has a history of racial divide among commissioners. Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver has worked to mend that divide during his years in office.

"One of the things that has been a primary focus of mine is to heal the racial divide in the community,” Copenhaver said. “I'm not going to say we're backsliding into the past of Augusta; I think we just need to keep our focus on working our way through this."

The new price tag for TEE center is about $72 million.

Commissioners are trying to reach a compromise on TEE center funding before moving on to this year's SPLOST referendum on June 16.

Mayor Copenhaver says the commissioners need to better communicate with each other to get the project passed.

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