The city of North Augusta, S.C., has morphed from a sleepy little city across the river into a regional powerhouse. Mayor Briton Williams says he is excited for the future.
Williams, the former chairman of the Planning Commission, was elected mayor in 2021.
The city of 25,000 has experienced a growth rate of 14% over the past ten years to become the 21st largest city in the state and, according to Williams, he expects this percentage to be even higher over the next ten years.
“We have people from Greer, Waynesboro, Grovetown, really from all over the place coming to visit, and we want them to stay. More and more of them are,” Williams said.
There are some good reasons for people to stay.
Sterlings Best Places gives North Augusta an average cost of living rating of 84.5 which is below the national average of 100. Sterlings also gives North Augusta an overall violent crime rating of 10.6 (the rating is gauged with 1 being the lowest and 100 the highest).
Williams credits the city’s form of government as one reason for its efficiency. While Williams only works part time and still practices his career as a financial professional, the “strong mayor” form of government means that the mayor acts as the CEO of the government with the city administrator answering to the mayor.
This has led to a situation that has resulted in there not being too many cooks in the kitchen at once, and Williams says that both he, the city council and City Administrator Jim Clifford are all committed to communicating with each other and the public.
“What it means is that we are all rowing in the same direction, and we make communication with the public a top priority,” Williams said.
Once a month, the city hosts a “Public Power Hour” where citizens can address the government on any topic.
“We don’t vote on matters during the Power Hour. We are there to listen and ask questions. This gives the public a voice, and sometimes we are made aware of a problem that we wouldn’t necessarily know about,” Williams said.
The city also has a citizen involvement form that is available on the city website. This form allows citizens to volunteer their time, or gain access to the two independent non-profit foundations, the Beautification and Public Safety foundations, where citizens can donate money to projects they support.
“This gives the citizens the ability to receive a tax break; but more importantly, that money does not go into the general fund, donors get to earmark exactly where the money is spent,” Williams said.
There is no question that SRP Park and Hammond’s Ferry have been an economic shot in the arm for the city; but North Augusta has made significant progress itself in improving quality of life, especially for those who enjoy outdoor recreation.
The North Augusta Greeneway contains over seven miles of paved walking trails that allow visitors and residents to walk all over town. The city also partnered with the developers of Hammonds Ferry to create Brick Pond Park, which is a 42 acre wetland open to the public.
Prior to the partnership, the old brick ponds had been pretty much a wasteland as they were an industrial site all the way up to the 1960s. Thanks to the partnership effort, the park is now a thriving ecosystem where wildlife such as egrets, otters and even alligators can be viewed from the pavilion on the pond.
According to Williams, the city is moving ahead on expanding the North Augusta Greeneway, which will extend down Hammond’s Ferry up to Bluff Avenue with all of the utilities being placed underground to beautify the area even more.
“We also want to create and develop an alley system, which will attract even more businesses to the downtown area,” Williams said.
Williams says that the incredible growth is also North Augusta’s biggest challenge. There are five “gateways” into the city along I-20, Highway One and the 13th Street Bridge and everything from traffic control to pavement runoff must be considered.
North Augusta is in the middle of developing and creating a $25 million public safety building that will help centralize public safety and prepare for even more city growth.
“We received a $7.8 million grant from the state for sewer and other infrastructure. We have also received two grants for improvements to the amphitheater. Those grants mean the costs do not get placed on the shoulders of the taxpayers,” Williams said.
