Columbia County Commission Chairman Doug Duncan is excited about what the year 2023 may bring to the county with several public-private capital projects on the horizon.
Plans are moving past the talking stage on bringing an expansion of Augusta Tech into Columbia County, according to Duncan.
The proposed $40 million advanced manufacturing and engineering technology teaching facility will eventually include room for the Columbia County School System to house a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) high school that Duncan says will make the county even more attractive to young families.
“This is about our future workforce, and we need to train for where the jobs are going to be,” Duncan said.
According to Duncan, voters have already approved $4 million through SPLOST, and the county has secured $1 million from a private donor to purchase the land. The next hurdle is to get the project approved to be placed on the state budget.
Representatives Jodi Lott and Mark Newton are already lobbying the General Assembly on behalf of the county and Augusta Tech to secure the funding needed to actually build the campus complex, Duncan says.
Lott confirmed that she and Newton are optimistic that the first phase of the process can be placed on the state’s 2023 budget process.
“The tech college system in Georgia is a hidden gem with high paying jobs at the end for students. I am excited to be a part of the conversation to help make this a reality for Columbia County and the entire region,” Lott said.
The long-anticipated hospital in Columbia County may also be coming to fruition, Duncan says. The county has been working with Augusta University and the Board of Regents to finalize a deal to place a full-service hospital in the county
“I handicap that at 95% as happening,” Duncan said.
If the negotiations are successful, construction could begin as early as June 1.
In terms of attracting more private businesses to the county, Duncan says the focus of the government and Sheriff’s Office is to maintain and even strengthen Columbia County’s reputation as an area with a low tolerance for crime.
Columbia County already has an A+ rating from Crimegrader.org, a database that tracks criminal activity throughout the state of Georgia, but Duncan says the county is not going to rest on its laurels.
The Sheriff’s Office’s new Real Time Crime Center is now fully operational. The state-of-the-art center uses a $400,000 system of cameras and software that can track vehicular traffic throughout the county.
While the cameras are sensitive enough to read a license tag, Duncan is quick to explain the cameras are not there to film minor traffic violations and issue citations, but should a smash and grab or armed robbery occur, deputies manning the center can literally follow the suspect vehicle in real time and make a quick arrest.
“It is literally like having drones out there. It is as high tech as we can afford. Our point is that if you attempt to commit a crime in Columbia County, you will be caught,” Duncan said.
