North Augusta residents can weigh in on the proposed 2022 budget during a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 18 at 5:45 p.m. It will be in council chambers in the Municipal Building at 100 Georgia Ave.
During a Sept. 21 study session, Finance Director Cammie Hayes presented council with a proposed total budget of just under $48 million. The current budget is just over $44.6 million.
“The first few pieces that represent the operating budget, we’ll start with the general fund, and we have an increase of 8.44%,” she explained. “This increase is reflective of a cost of living adjustment (COLA), some personnel changes and some increased expenditures.”
City Administrator Jim Clifford said one of the priorities is employee compensation and benefits.
“We’re in a very competitive labor market right now and we’re seeing labor rates rise across both the private sector and the public sector,” he said. “As I look at the city of Aiken, Aiken County, Columbia County and Augusta-Richmond County, all of those municipalities and counties are raising their overall labor rates. In order for us to remain competitive with that, I believe we’re going to have to do the same.”
Clifford is requesting a 4% cost of living adjustment for all employees.
“Because we want to make sure we can retain the folks that we have across all of our departments,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s a competitive marketplace for the folks that we’re dealing with. We have foregone a COLA for several years now, but I believe we’re at a time now where that’s going to be advisable for our folks.”
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Reassessments in Aiken and Edgefield Counties will have an impact on the North Augusta tax millage rate, which is currently 73.50 mills. Due to prior annexations some areas of North Augusta extend into Edgefield County.
Clifford explained, “If we do a rollback based on our property tax assessments from Edgefield and Aiken County, that would roll back to 70.2. What the staff and I are recommending is that we lock in our current millage rate at 73.5, understanding that that is a de facto increase of 3.3 mills. It’s a way we can capture some of the costs that we can capture this way.”
Hayes says keeping the millage rate at 73.50 mills will result in an annual tax increase of about $31.00 on a person with a $200,000 home and two vehicles totaling $40,000 in value.
The budget also includes funds for some quality-of-life and beautification projects.
Council will meet in regular session following the public hearing. The agenda includes voting on the budget resolution on the first reading. The vote on the second reading, and passage of the budget, could be set for the Nov. 15 regular council meeting.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com
