Interim Administrator Takiyah Douse is proposing pay hikes for certain law enforcement and several new public safety positions in next year’s budget.
Public safety – the Richmond County Sheriff’s and Marshal’s offices, Augusta Fire, 911 and Animal Services departments and the Richmond County Correctional Institution – costs Augusta some $78 million annually.
The division comprises 41% of the city’s general fund spending, Douse said. It represents 1,366, or 41%, of the government’s 2,900 full-time positions. It includes 379, or 47%, of 611 vacant funded positions.
In a Thursday workshop, Douse laid out a plan for public safety funding, ahead of her Oct. 17 presentation of the entire proposed budget. The budget goes into effect Jan. 1.
$1.9 million for deputy raises
The plan includes $1.9 million to increase the starting salaries of 265 road patrol deputies and investigators from $43,000 to approximately $50,500.
Speaking at the work session, Sheriff Richard Roundtree said the department had requested $5.2 million, but will accept the $1.9 million.
“This is the number we landed on. It is not our ideal number, of course, because you can’t take care of everybody, but we’re trying to take care of the majority of people where we feel that the need is greatest, to attract talented people and keep them in this area doing the job that we do,” he said.
It’s tough to remain competitive with Columbia County, Roundtree said, because deputies there get automatic 3% raises twice a year.
“In a year or two years, we’re going to get back behind them. We’re just going to be competitive for 2024,” the sheriff said.
Expansion of marshal’s litter program
The plan adds two personnel to expand the Marshal’s Office litter program from twice a month to three times a week, Douse said.
Through August the program has helped 128 probationers complete community service hours and collected 625 bags of trash and 156 tires, she said.
The additions “will allow more probationers to work off their community service hours and increase code enforcement presence in matters regarding our homeless efforts and illegal dumping,” she said.
Raises for prison work camp
With a shortage of certified officers blamed for the lack of inmate work details, Douse proposed a 10% increase for its 24 supervising officers, including six vacant positions.
The increase would bring the starting salary from $40,000 to $44,000.
The increase would cover a $3,000-$5,000 differential that RCCI Warden Evan Joseph said lures an employee elsewhere, Douse said.
Revenue increases, program cuts
“Where is this money coming from?” Commissioner Bobby Williams asked, in the first of several challenges he made to the budget proposal.
“I’m all for increases and what have you, it’s just that when we do it, we can’t just give one department something and cut another department. What has increased that will allow us to move forward with this?”
Douse said revenues have increased and will raise an estimated $4 million. In addition, she’s proposing cuts in certain areas.
Fire seeks capital funding
The fire department requested $3.7 million for capital requests not covered by its projected revenue. The requests included $236,559 for radios, $3.4 million for fire pumps and $425,100 for a rescue boat.
Williams asked why the department can’t spend from the $18 million in its “foundation.”
“I don’t understand when you’ve got $18 million and you’re still asking for $4 or $5 million and we need $4 or $5 million in other places,” he said.
The fire protection fund has that much in reserves at the time the fund balance is calculated in December, when it receives local and insurance tax revenue, Finance Director Donna Williams said.
Known as a rainy-day or emergency fund, the fund balance “is what upholds your credit rating; it allows you to withstand economic downturns; it allows you to recover from natural disasters,” Williams said.
Commissioner Sean Frantom said fire spending ought to be examined to see if a source for the funds could be identified elsewhere.
“There are wants on this list; let’s be honest about it,” he said.
Rescue Plan funds to run out
Bobby Williams also wanted to know when the salary supplements funded by the American Rescue Plan would become permanent.
“I want the question answered that says, ‘this is a regular part of my pay and not a supplement,’” he said.
Douse said the budget “adjusts partially” during 2024 to prepare for the end of Rescue Plan funds in 2025.
COLA, event grants, cuts included in budget
Douse also dropped details from the full proposal, which will include 3% cost-of-living increases for all staff, excluding the public safety workers getting the increases.
Funds will be allocated for Destination Augusta to issue grants to entities that routinely ask the commission for help with putting on events, such as parades.
It also will include the elimination of funded positions that Douse said some departments will resist. If a department wants to create a new position, it must eliminate an open one, she said.
“I do not want to add to the bottom line,” she said. The discussion of cuts “may not be an amicable conversation.”
Williams said he disagreed with excluding public safety personnel getting raises from the cost-of-living adjustment.
“If you want to play with the big boys you’ve got to act like a big boy,” he said.
