Commissioners explore ways to spend expected $300M in SPLOST 9
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The city of Augusta is laying out its next slate for big projects in SPLOST 9.
This is sales tax money that goes to specific projects before voters decide: everything from infrastructure to ideas like bringing a water-park to South Augusta, or funding for a new Boat House.
The first workshop for SPLOST 9 was held on Wednesday and the city says the next phase is estimated to collect $300 million.
Residents off of Milledgeville Road, however, want to know when their time will come.
Back in 2001 when SPLOST 4 was laid out, millions of dollars were allocated to the Rocky Creek drainage system, but there’s still $2.6 million that hasn’t been used, and residents here are feeling the pain.
Laid out in 11 pages, Interim Takiyah Douse highlighted money spent on SPLOST projects going all the way back to 1996.
She wants to focus on city infrastructure moving forward, but people around Rocky Creek feel forgotten.
“I get to clean up whatever the flood brings, extra work for me,” said Edward Lucas, a nearby flea market worker.
Charles Hudson, who has been living around Milledgeville Road for decades, says: “Nothing still yet has been done. They’ll come and clean the creek out, but when it rains again, it floods all over again. So, if they do have the funds for it, I wish they would come and do something about that creek.”
While the city of Augusta says they still don’t have enough money to do this project to completion, we found about $320 million still unused, going as far back as SPLOST 3 from 1996.
Moving forward, there’s lots of optimism and ideas for what the next $300 million should be used for.
Commissioner Jordan Johnson said: “You look at San Antonio Texas and other places that have riverfronts. Augusta is missing out on that.”
Commissioner Bobby Williams said: “Fire department needs money, Boat House, paving of streets.”
The timeline has been set for commissioners to come up with a list by the fall of this year, so residents can weigh in by January 2025, and then vote for what would be approved for that $300 million in November 2025.
Mayor Garnett Johnson said: “Expanding our offering of the river and our bike trails certainly benefits the people of Augusta.”
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