The Consolidation Act set Augusta commissioner salaries at $12,000 almost 30 years ago. The number hasn’t changed, but cost-of-living adjustments, longevity increases and a car allowance have brought the number to three times that or more.
According to city salary records, each of nine commissioners makes before taxes between $28,307 and $31,029 each year, including a $500 monthly car allowance.
Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Garrett makes $40,893 to serve as stand-in for the mayor, over twice the $20,000 specified in the consolidated government’s charter.
The low base salaries were considered a deterrent to potential candidates unwilling to give up time from their full-time jobs to serve on the commission. Things began looking up, however, when the commission approved a $500 monthly car allowance in 2020.
The car allowance replaced the generous 125-gallon monthly gas allowance that had been in effect since 1965, when gas was around 35 cents a gallon. Even among the heaviest users of city gas cards, no commissioner came close to spending $6,000 a year on fuel.
Former commissioner Marion Williams in 2017 led the 10 commissioners in using his gas card, but only purchased a combined 927 gallons during the year.
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Candidates throw themselves into Augusta Commission races as qualifying ends
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The number of candidates for the five commission seats on the May 21 ballot is 14, the same as it was in 2014. The most was 16 in 2020.
Since it’s a county and city, Augusta has long used the Association County Commissioners Georgia guidelines for computing elected official salaries.
Each commissioner gets an additional $100 per month if they’ve become certified by ACCG and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, which requires attending eight classes.
According to ACCG guidelines, all state cost-of-living adjustments are applied to county commissioner salaries, plus any training supplement. The COLA adjustments ranged from 1% to 3.5% in 11 the years from 2002-2020.
The COLAs are applied to the position, not the individual holding it.
In 2022, Gov. Brian Kemp delivered an election-year raise of $5,000 to all state and university employees. Under state law, county commissioners are entitled to the same increases the state allots its employees, according to ACCG.
To the new total, commissioners get longevity pay, in the amount of 2.5% for each term they’ve completed after 2004.
Commissioners get other perks from the city, including daily per diems while they are traveling for educational purposes, and insurance policies.
| District | Name | 2024 Salary | Auto Allowance | Total | 2022 | 2022+Auto |
| PRO TEM | GARRETT | $34,893 | $6,000 | $40,893 | $16,837 | $22,837 |
| 10 | GUILFOYLE | $25,029 | $6,000 | $31,029 | ||
| 4 | MASON | $25,029 | $6,000 | $31,029 | $17,679 | $23,679 |
| 7 | FRANTOM | $24,433 | $6,000 | $30,433 | $17,258 | $23,258 |
| 9 | SCOTT | $23,837 | $6,000 | $29,837 | $16,837 | $22,837 |
| 5 | WILLIAMS | $23,837 | $6,000 | $29,837 | $27,041 | $33,041 |
| 3 | MCKNIGHT | $23,837 | $6,000 | $29,837 | $16,837 | $22,837. |
| 1 | JOHNSON | $22,307 | $6,000 | $28,307 | $15,307 | $21,307 |
| 2 | PULLIAM | $22,307 | $6,000 | $28,307 | ||
| 6 | LEWIS | $22,306 | $6,000 | $28,307 |
