The Augusta Commission met on Nov. 2 for a workshop to discuss the 2023 budget, but after almost two hours of discussions and presentations, most commissioners walked away, in their words, “frustrated.”
Interim City Administrator Takiyah Douse attempted to start the workshop on a light note, touting the city’s new programs such as “supply to comply,” which will offer citizens vouchers to rent lawn mowers and weed eaters to keep their property in compliance.
Douse also attempted to hype a new program that will pay low-income families’ water bills.
However, commissioners were more interested in hearing about how the city planned to keep grass cut next year.
According to Douse, management of the grass at city cemeteries will be moved from the Parks and Recreation Department to the Richmond County Correctional Institute.
After a convoluted back and forth on which department would be responsible for what, Douse acknowledged that the roughly $500,000 budgeted to Parks and Recreation for cemetery service would remain in that department’s coffers, and she had no explanation how RCCI would be compensated for the added responsibility.
“All I can say is that this is a new program,” Douse said.
Grass cutting has been divided up between several agencies including Parks and Recreation, Central Services, RCCI and Engineering, and District 4 Commissioner Al Mason wanted clarification.
“Somebody’s got to speak directly to it. Do we have any directors here?” Mason asked.
No directors were present as Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. acknowledged, pointing to an empty gallery.
Conversation then turned to what appeared to be inconsistencies in other line items, such as budget estimates that far exceeded the previous year’s expenditures. District 7 Commissioner Sean Frantom said he was frustrated at looking at numbers that did not seem to make sense.
“There’s no reason for it. This goes from a $15,000 budget to $162,000. Some of the numbers I am seeing aren’t at 50%, but by the end of the year, we’ve somehow spent it all,” Frantom said.
Douse responded by stating she wasn’t prepared to be questioned “line by line.”
“Y’all did the budget. You ought to be able to justify this,” Frantom said.
The workshop then turned to budget amendments in which certain departments and agencies are requesting more funds such as District Attorney Jared Williams requesting $200,000 extra to give his assistant district attorneys raises.
Commissioners also discussed how the city would pay for the requested amendments as well as permanent budget items that were initially funded by American Rescue Plan funding. Finance Department Director Donna Williams told the commission that city finances are healthy but was blunt about ongoing funding that was begun using ARP funding, stating that once the money runs out, then it runs out.
Williams noted that the city is projected to bring in $3 million more in sales tax than was anticipated.
Despite William’s claim that city finances were healthy, District 6 Commissioner Ben Hasan asked if the city should cut the Sheriff’s Office budget or enact a hiring freeze in that agency.
“No sir. We have so many vacancies right now that departments are being impacted by not having enough folks to come in and do the work,” Williams said.
The Sheriff’s Office currently has 153 vacancies, Williams noted.
Scott Hudson is the senior reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
