Aiken County residents have more than just political candidates to consider in the November general election. They are being asked to decide whether a new Capital Projects Sales Tax (CPST) should be imposed.
It is not a new tax; it is a continuing one already in effect. CPST 4 expires in February 2025. CPST 5 would go into effect the following month.
An estimated $260 million will be collected and shared among all municipalities in Aiken County to pay for a defined list of projects.
One of the projects funded by earlier CPST collections is the new North Augusta Public Safety Headquarters under construction at the top of Georgia Avenue at Observatory Avenue.
“Let me put it this way, the one cent local option sales tax is huge, and the reality is we would not be here without it,” Mayor Briton Williams told ABD. “If you look at the projects North Augusta has done over the years that one-cent local option has been big.”
The new building will replace the aging Public Safety Headquarters on East Buena Vista Avenue, a building plagued by water leaks and general deterioration. It will be home to the police department and the municipal court hearing room and offices.
“Everyone that works at public safety is excited,” said Public Safety Chief Junior Johnson. “They’re ready to move into the new building. We have cramped quarters now. We’ve made do with older buildings in an effort to help out taxpayers over the years. So, we’re excited for this new opportunity that we’re being presented with right now.”
“It’s a long time coming,” said Williams. “The current conditions are it’s embarrassing. I’ve said that publicly for the last three years, and it should never have gotten to that point. The bottom line is it well deserved, and it’s going to allow them to do even a better job than they already do.”
One component of the city’s public safety department is already enjoying the benefits of a new building funded in part by sales tax dollars. Fire Station 1 is operational on West Martintown Road at Observatory.
Johnson said having the two buildings anchoring opposite ends of the Observatory improves response times for police or fire crews responding to calls.
“This is more of a centralized location in the city, which makes it easier for all residents, instead of just a select few,” he explained. “Anytime you can get a centralized area to cover the most amount of area, you’re better off. This is an area we can access all points of the city from quickly and easily.”
In early 2024, municipalities in Aiken County chose projects and cost estimates to submit to the County Council to request funding through CPST 5.
“We’ve got about $48 million in projects, and a lot of it is centered around, I call quality of life,” Williams said. “It’s going to be parks. It’s our downtown. So, it is things, in my mind, that are going to improve their quality of life.”
Also, on the list is nearly $6 million for the fire department including the purchase of two ladder trucks, $2.9 million to install an automated water meter reading system and $3 million to resurface city-maintained streets.
“People need to realize it’s not just local citizens,” Williams wants to remind voters. “This isn’t a tax on your property tax. This is every single person that comes to Aiken County that spends money. So, think that all the people who come to Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee, that come to Peach Jam. They help pay for this. It’s very positive. So, we all need to vote yes on the referendum in November.”
Construction on the new PSHQ is expected to be finished by late this year or early in 2025.
