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Augusta to pay Georgia Power for streetlight audit as city weighs $2.1M streetlight shortfall
Summary
Finance staff said the streetlight fund faces a $2.1 million projected deficit; the city engaged Georgia Power for a $540,000 audit to inventory lights and present buyout/lease options to remove the city from streetlight operations.
City finance staff told the commission the streetlight special revenue fund is projected to post a $2.1 million deficit unless the city changes the fee structure or changes service delivery. To inform that decision, the city has engaged Georgia Power to perform a two‑phase energy audit.
“Part of the energy audit… They will determine how many streetlights we own, their condition, and then come back in phase 2 of what they're gonna do to pay,” Interim Finance Director Tim Schreier said. He said the audit will identify lights in the old downtown urban service area and assess ownership and condition. The audit cost cited by staff was $540,000 and would be paid from ARPA allocations already planned for capital usage.
Staff described a potential approach where a third party (Georgia Power or a similar provider) would take over operation and maintenance of streetlights and the city would pay a monthly fee instead of retaining capital and operating responsibility. Commissioners asked about procurement checks and the appropriate engineering oversight; staff said the city’s engineering/traffic group will review the audit findings and any recommended contract.
Why it matters: the streetlight deficit is a material pressure on special revenue funds and may require fee adjustments for citizens or structural changes in how the city provides lighting. Commissioners asked staff to confirm procurement oversight and to return with contract terms and project costs after the audit is complete.
Ending: Staff said the contract for the audit is in legal review and the audit will take time; engineers will assess Georgia Power’s recommendations when the inventory is complete and present options to the commission.
