“Decisions are made by those who show up.” – Unknown
Have you ever had a complaint about how local government spends public funds?
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Okay, you can stop laughing now.
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No, seriously, it was really more of a rhetorical question.
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Obviously, each of us would make different decisions if put in charge of Augusta-Richmond County’s budget. Some would choose to emphasize public safety and emergency services. Others would prioritize transportation and parks. Maybe one of you thinks that what Augusta needs more than anything is to give the mayor a hefty pay raise. What, nobody?
Either way, those decisions are made by city administrators and approved by the Augusta Commission. And yet, for all the complaining that goes on about local government, relatively few Augustans attend public meetings or hearings. Only a small percentage ever reach out to their district’s commissioner by phone, e-mail, or letter. In fact, without looking it up, can you name your district commissioner? Your super district commissioner? Now, ask the person sitting next to you if they can.
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I’m not saying this to sit in judgment or appear superior. I’ve never attended a public hearing. I’ve never written a letter to a representative. But I would like to change that. I want to encourage myself, and you, Reader, to get more involved. Democracy should be more than voting for a representative every few years and leaving them alone. How will they know how to represent us if we don’t tell them?
Well, we have our chance over the next month at any one of several “Community Budget Engagement Forums” hosted by the city. In a move that brings public participation out of downtown and into more community spaces, these free-to-attend forums (registration required) are a chance to learn how the city budget is made and give input on fiscal year 2022.
The first forum took place Sept. 9 at Julian Smith Casino and had around 30 attendees, according to reports (apparently, public outreach is one area where local government can approve, as many community groups did not learn about the event until afterwards). Participants were able to hear from department heads who described their budget levels and needs.
Attendees were able to make their own simulated budgets, dividing $175 (representing a roughly $175 million general fund for public services) into several local departments, including public safety, health, parks, transportation, etc.
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It remains to be seen what, if any, consensus will emerge from these forums, and how seriously city administrators will take public input. But if you ever wanted to give local government your two cents on the budget, this is your chance.
There are three forums left, but if you can’t make them, the city has provided an online survey where you can divide up the simulated $175 budget yourself and leave comments. I personally found it difficult to fill out the survey without context, so I looked up the 2021 budget for previous funding levels and that helped immensely.
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Here are the dates and registration links for the upcoming forums, as well as a link for the online survey:
Sept. 27, 5 – 7 p.m. at May Park Community Center, 622 4th St. Register here.
Oct. 2, 12 – 12 p.m. at Bernie Ward Community Center, 1941 Lumpkin Rd. Register here.
Oct. 13, 5 – 7 p.m. at Warren Road Community Center, 300 Warren Rd. Register here.
You can take the online survey (open through Oct. 13) here.
I hope to see you there!
Marcus Plumlee is a Columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at mplumlee87@icloud.com.
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