AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Augusta Commission is moving forward with the Trade, Exhibition and Entertainment Center, but there's still much debate between commissioners over the TEE center.

Augusta-Richmond County commissioners were able to take a small step forward in their meeting Tuesday. They passed a motion to hire a bond council to bid on a loan to pay for the center.

Yet, another motion by Betty Beard, to add an extra $1 million in funding for the Laney-Walker area, was shot down with the vote split, along racial lines.

“[The TEE center] is a non essential item, very much like the James Brown Arena,” said Commissioner Betty Beard. She compared the financial situation of the TEE center with a similar city’s center in another state that was a failure. She says it cost the city millions.

“I don’t want to have it caught up being a black and white thing,” said Commissioner Corey Johnson. “I think it should be an investment in the community.”

The commissioners say that they want the TEE center/Laney-Walker re-development to be more for the community, but when it came to voting, the commission was divided. There is still no clear plan for the project.

If the Augusta Commission does not make a decision on the TEE center and delays it further, they could have to pay penalties.

“I am very concerned that we are not moving fast enough, and I certainly don’t want us to have to pay arbitrary fees to the federal government,” said Commissioner Jerry Brigham. “I think that would be a total waste of taxpayer dollars.”

The commission will have to pay extra fees on the $20 million in SPLOST dollars they have set aside for the TEE center if they don’t work quickly to avoid those extra fees.

Commissioners will hear more on the multi-million dollar parking deck for the TEE center at their next meeting.

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