Richmond County Board of Elections certified the results Monday of last week’s referendum on a coliseum sales tax and $250 million bond issue.
In an agenda addition, the elections board voted 5-0 to approve a resolution declaring the results in support of imposing the 0.5% sales tax and issuing the bonds.
The final vote was 10,658 or 66% in favor and 5,475 against, after six provisional ballots were verified and added to the total Monday.
The vote sets in motion the new tax, bringing Augusta’s total sales tax rate to 8.5%, or $8.50 on a $100 purchase. It also authorizes the bond issue that’s expected to fund construction of a new $250 million James Brown Arena and associated interest and expenses of up to $183 million.
Staff reported a handful of issues during the election, including a complaint that Henry Brigham Center, which is being renovated, lacked sufficient signage directing advance voters to an alternate site at Charles H. Evans Center. Workers had issues gaining access to polling places at Cross Creek High School and Building Worship Center on Election Day, and another was concerned about safety at a polling place, according to a report from Travis Doss, elections executive director.
A few polling places had election day-issues with voter access cards, Doss said. The green cards are programmed by poll workers using electronic poll pads and used by voters to retrieve, vote and print their ballot. Doss said multiple locations reported seeing an “invalid card” error message that went away after the voter moved to another machine or the card was cleaned. In addition, the ballot printers at some locations gave a USB error message that went away when the machine was restarted, he said.
Police were called to Julian Smith Casino after a campaigner on one side of the arena issue came within the restricted 150-foot distance wearing a supportive shirt and carrying a sign and refused to leave, Doss said.
Two other complaints came in about the government using taxpayer resources, including a tax commissioner newsletter, to promote “yes” votes. Doss said he referred the complaining parties to the state ethics commission or State Elections Board.
Former Commissioner Moses Todd spoke briefly to the elections board about “electioneering” by government entities. Todd said promoters called their activities “education,” while in reality “they promoted the referendum,” in violation of laws against spending tax dollars to promote an election result
“We’ve never used tax dollars or government dollars to promote in one way or the other a sales tax issue,” Todd said.
