That'll really bring the shoppers to Augusta, huh?
To solve the city's budget woes, City Administrator Fred Russell recommended to Augusta commissioners today that, along with adopting a list of cost-cutting measures, they begin a push to add an extra penny to the city's sales tax.
Raising the sales tax from 7 cents per dollar to 8 cents would generate an estimated $35 million to $36 million per year. Mr. Russell said that if the new tax could be implemented by next year, property taxes could be rolled back 3 mills.
Commissioner Don Grantham said the first step would be for the commission to pass a resolution asking the city's legislative delegation to pass a law allowing the city to hold a referendum on the tax, which would be termed a Municipal Option Sales Tax, or MOST.
Should that be done during the 2010 General Assembly, a referendum could be held as early as July 20, Richmond County Board of Elections Executive Director Lynn Bailey said.
If voters approved, Assistant Finance Director Tim Schroer said, the tax could begin the first day of the first fiscal quarter 80 days after the election, which would be Oct. 1.
The tax would likely generate about $3 million per month, adding $9 million to the city's coffers next year.
The working budget currently has an $8.6 million shortfall.
Comments
That'll really bring the shoppers to Augusta, huh?
It's not a penny increase - it's a 14.2% increase in sales tax!! Would you want the city of Augusta to get 14.2% more of our money based on the way they manage themselves? No way!
Again we are being told that the way to decrease the deficit is to raise taxes. First tell me what "cost-cutting measures" are going to be implemented, level the playing field by having ALL Augusta-Richmond County property owners pay the same tax rate and fees, and then you can ask me to consider a MOST.
a proposal to increase property/now sales taxes..tax'em, tax'em, tax'em..nothing about spending custs...hey were is joe..he's laying low until it's time for the city to finance 40-50 million dollars for billy morris's TEE center
First - remove the gas cards from the commisioners. That is why they get a thousand dollars a month for one or two days work. Attending a BBQ isn't really a priority function.
Second - stop all gifts to non-profits except medical. If it is worth funding, it should be self supporting.
Third - stop outsourcing of studies. If our elected officials can't see the benefit for a program let them tell us so. And why do we have high paid deputies downtown anyway.
Fourth - Make the sheriff and other departments purchase gasoline across the river. That would be an automatic 10 20 percent savings.
Fifth - stop all travel to conventions, seminars and other such activities.
Bottom line for Fred is, not everyone is making mega-bucks and a penny extra is important to us.
On second thought maybe what we need is a citizens committee to review every department on a regular basis and make suggestions that could save money. It is obvious the people who are currently appointed to commissions aren't doing anything to influence operations of the city and are probably nothing more than social appointees anyway.
Dissman, the cost of the time and extra miles that it takes to go to SC would amount to more than would be saved.
Man, I hate to tell you folks I told you so. We just added a penny to the sales tax for theaters and other useless crap. This town is like a drunken sailor in port.
Absurd!! We are taxed federally, by the state locally on every penny we make then we get taxed 7% on every penny we spend and now you want more because you have no one who has a clue on how to run a business in our local government. You want to increase taxes by 15% in this economy? How about STOP SPENDING what you don't have, stop getting us into stupid law suits, stop hiring idiots like Fred Russell and FIRE all non-workers who are just collecting checks working for our city in EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, including one I am always highly in favor of but even our Sheriff's Office. Change trash pick up to once a week, stop with all of the insane studies (Over 50k so far to see if we need a trolly system in Augusta) is just plain stupid. So much could be done to reduce spending and waste but instead you just simply want to take more from the working class to pay for your pet projects and govt. waste. Do you honesly think any business could raise their prices 15% to the consumer right now and retain customers? You people need to get a freaking clue or get out of office and those being paid to provide this information need a good wake up call as this is ridiculous.
Have the police park their cars and take their own cars to and from work like the rest of us.
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