Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson kicked off his third year in office with a State of the City address that promised a continued commitment to “growth, action and results.”
Johnson began his speech with his now familiar: “Hey ya’ll.”
The 35 minute speech focused largely on the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Johnson explained that the “final pass,” as it was termed by representatives of FEMA, was really just the end of “phase one” of the cleanup efforts focusing largely on removing fallen organic vegetative material.
“So far, 2.7 million cubic yards of debris has been removed, and we will not stop until every ounce of debris is picked up. Let me emphasize, every ounce, every pile of debris will be picked up,” Johnson said, pointing out that even the city’s long neglected cemeteries received attention so that relatives could safely visit their deceased loved ones.
According to Johnson, FEMA plans to stay in the Garden City for the long haul, having signed a long-term lease to house its 11 employees already here, with plans to hire as many as 200 more local employees as the city moves into “phase two” of the recovery, which will focus on leftover wiring from infrastructure replacement and construction debris.
Johnson held a moment of silence for the seven people who lost their lives in the hurricane, including a member of his own family, and thanked 911 as well as the city’s first responders for handling over 395 calls, including reports of 11 collapsed buildings on Sep. 27 alone.
Turning to the future, Johnson thanked the Augusta Commission for agreeing to start the search for a new EMA director. That directive came down at the first commission meeting of this year, after two new commissioners were sworn into office.
The city has been without an EMA director for over 20 years.
Addressing the city’s tax base, the mayor acknowledged that growth has been slow, but his initiatives for “dignity in housing” is showing promising results for future long-term growth, adding that Augusta Engineering has 323 private development plans under review.
Johnson also promised that Dogwood Terrace public housing will be vacant as of this summer, with residents being relocated to other Section 8 properties, and touted the $50 million in tax exempt revenue bonds for the long-suffering Bon Air and Richmond Summit apartments as proof of more affordable housing to come.
According to Johnson, outdoor recreation will be a priority for Augusta in the coming year with $25 million approved for upgrades to Parks and Recreation facilities as well as the recently approved audit; and, Johnson promised more audits to come.
“This commitment to accountability improvement extends beyond recreation. It’s a guiding principle in every area of our work,” Johnson said.
