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Public commenter urges transparency on "FLOSS" and Augusta Land Bank before new sales tax vote
Summary
During public comment, Deborah East told commissioners that the proposed FLOSS sales tax would primarily benefit homestead owners while renters pay all sales taxes; she called for the Augusta Land Bank Authority to publish a 10‑year disposition log and for beneficial ownership disclosure of LLC‑held downtown parcels.
Deborah East used the public comment period May 5 to press the Augusta Richmond County Commission for answers before voters consider a proposed floating local option sales tax (FLOSS).
East said FLOSS is collected through sales tax and that renters, who comprise roughly half of Augusta households, pay the burden while receiving no homestead relief because the proposed benefit applies only to homestead exemptions. She argued the structure would deliver larger relief to owners of higher‑valued homesteads and leave renters without benefit.
East also called attention to downtown property transfers she said were opaque. She urged the commission to direct the Augusta Land Bank Authority to publish a complete disposition log under Georgia's open records law — every parcel, buyer, price and approving vote for the last 10 years — and to require beneficial ownership disclosure for LLC‑held properties in the downtown corridor. She suggested the commission should also order a code enforcement audit of eligible buildings and publish any insurance and deed transfer records if a suspicious fire clears a parcel for redevelopment.
Commissioners did not respond with a policy decision during the meeting. The comment was entered into the record; East asked that the commission produce the disposition log and other transparency work before placing the FLOSS question before voters.
Why it matters: East framed FLOSS as a regressive mechanism unless paired with checks on property actions that she says transfer public investment into private hands. The commission did not announce immediate follow‑up action at the meeting.
Quote: "Until this commission delivers a public land bank disposition log, a code enforcement audit of every LLC held building downtown, beneficial ownership disclosure ... this community votes no on FLOSS," East said.
