I-TEAM: Are Augusta stormwater fees funding other city departments?
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Those of you living in Augusta-Richmond County are now paying more for your water.
The 4.5% increase went into effect Jan. 1. There’s now also a fee to pay with a credit card.
The increase is in addition to SPLOST and stormwater fees. Both help maintain and improve the city’s aging infrastructure.
But the I-TEAM uncovered some of the money that should maintain and fix drainage problems is going to other city departments.
The I-TEAM walked with Allison through her yard to the cul de sac in front of her home.
Liz: “Have you not called the city?”
Allison: “Yes. I called the city twice and the second time they just marked the ground and put these cones up and marked the ground with caution tape and that was it.”
MORE STORMWATER ISSUES:
- Number of residents’ repairs grow for city of Augusta
- Concerns continue e of Augusta’s stormwater fees
- Augusta homeowner questions use of stormwater fees
Liz: “And that was it.”
Allison: “That was it.”
She takes us to the spot where her son dislocated his knee.
“They were all out here playing basketball. The only thing I heard was screaming,” she said.
Beneath the sinkhole, you can see a broken storm drain pipe.
Liz: “Oh, my. Yeah, you can totally see.”
Allison: “Yeah, it was broken worse than that.”
Allison isn’t the only neighbor at her wit’s end. John lives across the street.
How Augusta and state agencies are preparing for icy blast
Preparations are underway in Augusta for the winter weather event, which is expected to begin Friday morning.
Liz: “And you have complained?”
John: “Oh yes, many times.”
John has complained to 311 every year from 2019 through 2024 — pavement problems, drainage problems, pipe problems, sinkhole problems and flooding problems.
“I’ve watched them drive through the water that sits this high above their knees because the water washes over the hood,” said John. “I know there are a ton of examples across the city like this.”
The people of Augusta pay more for just a band-aid fix.
They pay a special purpose local option sales tax and a stormwater fee.
Liz: “It looks like we have a surplus of 20 million, do we?”
Hameed Malik: “No, it’s the paper money.”
Liz: “What do you mean?”
Malik: “It means the money is on the paper that does not exist.”
Richmond County Marshal’s Office conducts nearly 16 evictions a day
The Richmond County Marshals Office is carrying out an average of 16 evictions a day. As thousands of families in Richmond County are at risk of eviction, rental assistance is the lifeline helping them through.
Malik is the Director of Engineering for Augusta-Richmond County.
Malik: “There is a disconnect between engineering and ing. ing always looks at what you bill not at what you collect.”
It’s not the only reason the numbers don’t seem to add up.
Liz: “The impression I have after looking through those old documents is that these engineering employees were funded through the general fund. Once we get the stormwater fee the general fund is no longer paying their salaries, the stormwater fee is paying them. Did we add any new employees?”
Malik: “No because it was shifted.”
The I-TEAM uncovered the funding source for nearly half of the positions in the engineering department immediately shifted from the general fund to stormwater revenue when the fee went into effect nine years ago.
Nearly $450,000 of stormwater revenue paid the salaries of 11 city employees that first year.
Liz: “Is it ethical to be using stormwater fees to pay city employees that were previously paid by the general fund?”
Malik: “Yes. I mean the city moves whatever they want to move, yeah. That’s not an engineering question; it’s a policy question.”
That’s because our state constitution gives local governments authority over stormwater systems and the power to charge a fee for service.
SEE THE ORDINANCE:
Augusta-Richmond County’s ordinance states “all stormwater management related revenues and receipts shall be placed on the stormwater utility enterprise fund.”
“Right now, the way the program is set up any activity that qualifies as a stormwater activity the city wants to charge that activity to the stormwater activity,” said Malik.
More than 100 Augusta-Richmond County engineering positions are listed as such, meaning part of your stormwater fee goes to the city payroll.
“Money isn’t there to do actual construction,” said Malik.
In other words, he’s saying nearly 40% of stormwater revenue is going down the drain — not to fix the drains.
Liz: “It seems to me like it’s a huge waste of money in tax dollars if people are paying extra money, but it went to pay current city employees. That money went there, which leaves you there is less money for those services, and you don’t have more people to do those services. You didn’t add that many.”
Malik: “No.”
SEE THE WORK ORDERS:
Liz: “So, what’s the point of the stormwater fee?”
Malik: “The point still takes care of the maintenance. Maybe not the level someone thinks it should be done.”
But the city’s level of service costs more than just the price people pay for water.
“It was heartbreaking because I didn’t expect it to be my child and that’s why I kept calling the city and to me, it got put on the back burner,” said Allison.
Engineering’s last work order for Cheryl Drive was in August. A city worker noted the road could collapse if they attempted to clean the cross pipe under the street.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
