At a meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission in Augusta City, Historic Augusta and downtown property owners urged the commission to ask city administration to pursue a local option under Senate Bill 141 that would extend the local property tax abatement timeline for certified historic rehabilitation projects. Commissioners agreed to have staff draft a letter or recommendation to the city administrator for consideration and potential referral to the city commission.

Eric Montgomery, executive director of Historic Augusta, told the commission the group had submitted a letter recommending the commission support using the tool to help revitalize downtown. “Although this will be very advantageous to certified rehabs going forward, it's not like every building in Augusta is gonna take advantage of this,” Montgomery said, and he urged the commission to forward a recommendation so the city commission could consider it during budget and planning discussions.

Bridal Steffes, a downtown property owner and petitioner on a separate COA, said he had followed the bill through state sessions and had spoken with Scott Rountree, the tax assessor, and with the mayor; he said both had expressed support. "From what I've heard, it does need to go through the administrator," Steffes said, describing the next steps for local implementation.

Commissioner Nathan Vick, who has worked on downtown rehabilitation projects, described how the combination of state and federal tax credits together with a local abatement can tip the finances for expensive rehabs. "These old buildings take a lot of money to rehab," Vick said, and he added that a local abatement can make a project financially viable.

Commission discussion focused on process and timing. Staff and counsel advised that a local action would typically be processed through the city administrator and could then be placed on the city commission agenda; commissioners asked that a draft recommendation be prepared for review. Commissioner Leon offered to assist in preparing a draft and indicated the draft would be returned to the Historic Preservation Commission for review; the body recorded no objection to moving forward. The commission did not adopt a final ordinance at the meeting.

The policy under discussion is a local‑option extension of an existing property tax abatement tied to certified historic rehabilitation: currently the program phases increases in assessment after rehabilitation; the local option in Senate Bill 141 would allow a longer phased‑in period (up to an additional 12 years) at the commission's discretion. Montgomery and applicants said the change does not eliminate property taxes; rather, it modifies the timing of assessment increases after rehabilitation.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff will draft a letter or recommendation to the city administrator asking that the administrator place the item on the city commission agenda for further review and possible referral; the draft will be returned to the Historic Preservation Commission for review prior to any action by the full city commission.