Residents and businesses have another opportunity to meet with Augusta Commissioners to get answers and share concerns about the city’s 2027 budget.
A public hearing is set for today, Nov. 4, at 10:30 a.m. It will also be available via livestream on the city’s website. This is the third such hearing the commission has scheduled.
Administrator Tameka Allen presented the proposal to commissioners for review. She began with results of a survey the city conducted to receive input on how citizens prioritize the needs they want to be addressed.
This survey is an important source of input, but of course, it is not a poll of every resident. It tells us what some of our engaged residents are thinking, and what they are telling us deserves our attention,” she began, adding that while it is not a statistical sample, it still provides valuable insight.
“Affordable housing leads by a wide margin at 44 percent. Public safety is second at 29 percent. Economic development and streets and sidewalks are essentially tied for third at about 25 percent.”
Allen said the $1.2 billion budget is balanced and is designed to build a foundation for the future. It recommends a two-mill increase in the maintenance and operations budget; however, there is still a net decrease in the millage rate, which translates to lower property taxes.
“Property taxes are only part of our revenue picture, but this is a gap built up year after year and is a major reason we face the challenges we do with this budget. At the same time, we have been able to maintain a very favorable tax environment for property owners in Augusta,” she explained. “Augusta has a long history of adopting the rollback millage rate that kept tax bills steady, but it also meant our property tax revenue did not grow with our costs.”
Beginning in 2027, the city will have a new source of revenue, the Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST). It is a half-cent special tax approved by voters.
“It brings in new sales tax revenue, but by law it must be used to reduce property taxes. It shifts where our revenue comes from but does not by itself close our revenue gap,” said Allen.
Earlier this week, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced local government will begin receiving funds this week from the 2026 Homeowner Tax Relief Grant program. Eligible Georgia homeowners may receive a $18,000 reduction in their home’s assessed value. It will be applied to their property tax bills. Property owners will not receive a check or direct deposit; rather, it will appear as a reduction on their property tax bill.
“Along with our partners in the General Assembly, we are delivering on our promise to make life more affordable for hardworking Georgians by providing needed relief for homeowners from property taxes,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Because of our commitment to creating jobs and budgeting conservatively, we are able to take steps such as these to keep more money in Georgians’ pockets.”
The commission is scheduled to adopt the final budget on Nov. 17. In the meantime, Allen told commissioners there must be clear and honest communication if there is to be trust between the government and citizens.
We need to be responsible. Stewardship starts with being clear about where we stand; we have to be honest about where our resources can support and realistic about what we can accomplish. We also have to name the trade-offs that come with difficult decisions,” she said. “A long-range strategic approach, balancing one year’s budget, is not enough. We have to think about how today’s decision affects Augusta in the years ahead.”
The full breakdown of the budget is at www.augustaga.gov/3489/FY2027-Budget
Link to the budget hearing livestream: www.augustaga.gov/1393/Government-Meetings-Live
