SPLOST 8 is probably one of the most conservative SPLOSTs to come out in recent years, and The Augusta Press reluctantly recommends a yes vote on the measure when voters go to the polls on March 16.
Why the reluctant endorsement?
First of all, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, scant public input was possible during a pandemic that demanded isolation and Zoom commission meetings. That means the public had little to say about what ultimately ended up in the package.
Further, some of the items that did make it into the tax proposal were eyebrow raising.
For starters, $25 million is allocated for the New James Brown Arena. Simply put, no one knows exactly how that money will be spent because the arena is projected to cost $228 million, and voters have not approved a bond issue to even begin construction.
Also, $5 million is in the budget as “seed money” to start up a water park in the Diamond Lakes Recreation Area. What good will seed money do when a water park will cost at least four times that amount? The money will likely be wasted on endless studies in an effort to woo potential operators who could actually run such a facility. The liability that such a facility could create for the taxpayers is another concern.
With blight being a big problem in south Augusta, we feel that money could be spent tackling the real problems facing that area of town rather than taking a gamble that anyone wants to build and run a water park. It is akin to proposing a golf course next to a junkyard. The city has its priorities backwards; they need to raze the junkyard first, then look to building the golf course.
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Also, we wonder if $6 million is really needed to build a new Juvenile Court facility. The old jail at 401 Walton Way has plenty of space for such proceedings, and the building has become prized for its use by film makers, which means it has the ability to contribute to the local economy. So, why spend the money to build a new building when one already exists?
However, there are plenty of good things in SPLOST 8 that voters should consider: funding for new police vehicles, blight mitigation, flood control, right of way tree management and improvements to the surveillance camera system downtown.
Funding is included to pay off the bonds on the Cyber Center parking deck, and money is provided to build a needed parking deck at the Old Depot, which is the only way the city can ever move forward to develop that property.
Some of Augusta’s roadways are in terrible shape, and the allocation of $23.5 million will go a long way to mitigate the problem at least somewhat.
We also have to remember that a good 30 percent of the SPLOST will be paid for by out of towners especially during Masters week (when Master’s Week returns in full, that is).
It is a flawed SPLOST, but it is still needed.
Therefore, we reiterate our reluctant recommendation that you go to the polls and vote yes on SPLOST 8.
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