During a Friday morning ceremony, Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis signed the Redevelopment and Blighted Properties Program ordinance into law.
The signing was set against the backdrop of the first properties slated for demolition at Sherman and Maple Streets.
MORE: Proposed Blight Ordinance Outlined for Augusta Residents
Under the ordinance, the owner of a property that is deemed blighted will receive a notice. The owner will have 60 days to bring the property into compliance. If repairs or improvements are not made, the owner will have to appear in court. If the court upholds the blight designation, the property owner will be assessed an increase in the property’s ad valorem tax.
Mayor Pro-Tem Bobby Williams said, “We have landlords that have homes and/or land and they won’t take care of them. They pay the taxes, but they don’t do anything else on the land.”
Williams added, “I went to a property the other day and the owner had locks on the front door and the backyard looked like a jungle. The owner said he couldn’t do anything with it, so his taxes went from about $800 to about $6,000.”
The first properties are in District One, represented by Commissioner Jordan Johnson.
“I think people will see we are serious and we’re intentional about transforming our communities into places where, if you want to live in a safe place, you can do that,” Jordan said. “It will also renew pride into our communities.”
MORE: Augusta Looks to Join Other Cities in Fighting Blight
Former District One Commissioner Bill Fennoy quoted a well-known Sam Cooke song, “It’s been a long time coming, but change is about to come.”
Mayor Hardie Davis said they will be able to use some of the money the city got from the American Rescue Plan to focus on blight, in addition restoring the city’s reserve fund and helping the homeless in Augusta.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”49″]
