Former commissioner urges rework of urban services district and fire/garbage charges

At the committee’s public hearing, former Commissioner Jerry Brigham urged the Charter Review Committee to focus on the urban services district and how the county charges for fire protection and garbage service.

Brigham said Augusta Richmond County should “eliminate or expand the urban services district” and review current fee structures for services that some neighboring jurisdictions fund through property (ad valorem) taxes. “The legislature has talked numerous times about doing away with fees, and we can always operate garbage through ad valorem taxes,” Brigham said, adding that compensation and fee language written into a 30‑year‑old charter may no longer be appropriate.

Several other commenters echoed the need to review how services are funded across district lines and how billing or fee structures affect homeowners and neighborhoods. The committee did not indicate an immediate decision on funding mechanisms but said that finance subcommittee meetings and further public input would examine the fiscal implications of any recommended charter changes.

The committee’s advisers also noted that some technical financial provisions are often better handled by ordinance than by charter language because ordinances are easier to update as costs and policy change.