Augusta City officials continued a work session on the proposed SPLOST 9 package, presenting a $463,000,000 tally that staff said includes items added after the last meeting and will guide what appears on the May 19 ballot. Administrator said the final SPLOST list must be approved by Jan. 6, intergovernmental agreements with Blythe and Hetzebah completed and a resolution approved by Jan. 27; the board of elections would be asked to issue the call of election by Feb. 9.

The package grew from an initial $1 billion request down to $720 million and, after staff reductions, to about $463 million in the current column, the administrator told the commissioners. Staff estimated collections at roughly $60 million a year under current assumptions; the administrator said the $463 million would cover “a little over around 7 years” depending on actual receipts.

That projected length prompted a policy debate among commissioners. Some members said a seven-year SPLOST creates risks, including diminished flexibility for newly elected commissioners and insufficient near-term funding for emergency infrastructure needs. One commissioner pointed to recent storm damage and pump failures to illustrate the risks of a longer package and urged preservation of emergency reserves or a shorter SPLOST term.

Staff said reducing the overall dollar total is the primary way to shorten the term: lowering the package would shorten the expected collection period. Commissioners asked for accessible records of prior SPLOST cycles (SPLOST 7 and 8) to review remaining balances and completed work; staff confirmed those records are available on the city website.

Administrators and staff asked commissioners to identify potential cuts ahead of the January deadline; the chair said the body’s objective is to find roughly $93 million in reductions to bring the package closer to a five-year funding window and to make sure projects slated for completion are clearly identified in any phased approach.

The work session concluded with staff agreeing to circulate the current package spreadsheet and a short note summarizing the changes and options discussed. The governing body will need to adopt the final SPLOST list for the ballot timeline to be met.