Augusta commission advances SPLOST 9 list with boathouse, juvenile court increases and public‑safety asks

Augusta’s commission resumed its work session on SPLOST 9, with staff presenting an updated project list and commissioners signaling support for several public‑safety and parks items while asking staff to return with refined language and cost detail.

Administrator Allen told the commission the SPLOST 9 timeline aims for a May 19 ballot, with two work sessions (including Dec. 4) and final list approval planned for the Jan. 6 meeting. She said changes since August are marked in the packet and summarized key additions: a $14,000,000 allocation under quality of life for the river walk and boathouse rebuild and a $2,500,000 bond‑interest allowance in general government. Cost estimates for the Craig Horton juvenile court project rose from an earlier planning number of $15,000,000 to about $20,000,000, prompting an additional $5,000,000 in the draft list. Administrator Allen said staff also added $4,000,000 for construction‑management services to help coordinate multiple large building projects.

Chief Blanchard, speaking for the sheriff’s office, described options to meet jail capacity needs. He said designers now estimate prefabricated pods could deliver roughly 288–300 beds at about $69–70 million compared with approximately $98 million for full brick‑and‑mortar construction; the sheriff’s office asked to add $20,000,000 to move the request toward a roughly $70,000,000 prefab option. Blanchard also described fleet needs, noting an equipped patrol vehicle can cost about $67,000 and that the office is requesting $3,000,000 per year over six years ($18,000,000 total) for vehicle replacement.

Commissioners used a show‑of‑hands process to seek consensus on line items. The chair called for consensus to include an additional $5,000,000 for May Park and the clerk recorded no objection. The board also recorded consensus in support of the sheriff’s modular pods after Blanchard’s presentation. Administrator Allen and finance staff repeatedly cautioned that adding projects increases the overall SPLOST total and the length of collections: staff said the draft list as presented was about $434,000,000 (about 78 months to collect) and that adding the sheriff and other requests would raise the total and lengthen the collection period.

Several commissioners asked staff to return with more precise cost breakdowns and with legal language to designate funds for geographic corridors when warranted. Attorney Plunkett advised that the SPLOST list can be framed generically (for example, dollars for parks in a general area) but that the commission can also include an IGA (intergovernmental agreement) in the voter materials so residents know intended projects.

The commission scheduled another work session for Dec. 4 to reconcile the growing list and numbers. The meeting adjourned with staff directed to refine project descriptions, legal verbiage and cost estimates for commissioners to consider at the next session.