Economic development CSRA leaders think they can recruit one company for a new 1,150-acre area. It’s called the McCombs Mega-site. They need more infrastructure to make it happen—and need a positive vote in about one month.
That’s when Richmond County voters will be asked to decide on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) 9 project list in May. SPLOST 9 is a proposed one-cent sales tax, money targeted for specific capital improvement projects. If approved, it will replace SPLOST 8 when it expires. SPLOST 9 will raise an estimated $375 million.
The list includes a project that could impact both Richmond and Burke Counties.
Proposed by the Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA), it is an extension of the sewer system farther into south Richmond County. The authority had requested $25 million, and county commissioners approved $22 million.
The goal is to extend utility service to an area of Richmond County with large tracts that are ripe for development.
“We just have to make sure we get the right person in the right place to want to see South Augusta grow,” District 9 Commissioner Francine Scott told ABD at last week’s Red Carpet Tour (RCT). “It (the sewer line project) is very important. And I really, really do support that. We need it. It’s a must.”
Currently, the sewer line ends in the area of the Augusta Corporate Park on Mike Padgett Highway. Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson called extending the sewer line a major investment that is needed to grow the south Richmond corridor.
“We have the McCombs mega site that’s located out in south Richmond County,” he said. “Expanding sewer to that site will enable us not only to grow jobs, but also grow rooftops, and that’s one of the reasons we’re going to ask our community to take a look at it to see if they would support it.”
Johnson is referring to a new industrial development area in Richmond County near the Burke County line. It is 1,150 acres, and the vision is to develop it for a single user, similar to the Hyundai plant being developed in Bryan County between Savannah and Fort Stewart.
While most of the proposed mega-site is situated in Richmond County, Austin Stacy, Executive Director of the Development Authority of Burke County (DABC), said its proximity also makes it important to Burke County.
“With that site sitting right on the line, you know it’s going to open up opportunities on the lower 56 (Highway 56) side for industrial development as well as commercial and housing,” he said. “We’re definitely primed for development in the next five, 10, 15 years in that area.”
Like Johnson and Scott, Stacy was among the political, business, and economic development officials from across Metro Augusta welcoming international business leaders during the RCT.
“It is the most important week of the year for our offices,” he explained. “We capitalize and close deals during this week. This is our bread and butter. It’s what we do for a living. And honestly, this is how we keep building our region and our communities for better growth and for years to come, for future generations.”
In addition to SPLOST 9, Richmond County voters will be asked to decide on another special tax that will be on the May 19 ballot. FLOST, a Floating Local Option Sales Tax, is a 0.5% sales tax intended to reduce property taxes and will be a separate vote. Commissioners approved both items in January 2026, clearing the way for both to be on the ballot.
To explain both proposals, public information sessions have been scheduled for voters to attend and ask questions.
The final session is:
- April 21, 2026
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Warren Road Community Center
- 300 Warren Road
The SPLOST project list is available at:
https://www.augustaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20848/SPLOST-9-Project-List-Approved-1062026
