Augusta, GA
Augusta leaders discuss ‘double-edged sword’ of homestead exemption
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta leaders held their final public input session Tuesday on the homestead exemption property tax cap.
The only Augusta Commission members there from the start were Wayne Guilfoyle, Tina Slendak and Francine Scott. Mayor Garnett Johnson was also there, while Commissioners Don Clark and Tony Lewis came in during the public comment period.
About 30 to 40 members of the public were there for the meeting that started at 11 a.m.
A new state law passed by voters caps property tax increases for people with the homestead exemption. This “floating” homestead exemption would mean some adjustments for local governments, which rely on those property tax revenues. As a result, governments can opt out of the cap – but only if they do so by March 1 and after holding at least three public input sessions.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Richmond County Tax Assessor Scott Rountree explained that when homestead properties are exempted, the tax burden must shift to other levies, like commercial, agricultural, industrial and residential non-homestead property taxes.
“I think it’s putting undue burden and undue stress on them,” said Angie Cox, president and CEO of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. “Not to mention the fact that with business owners already having increased costs elsewhere to shift that property tax onto the commercial owners, it’s just creating another cost for them.”
The floating homestead exemption would benefit homeowners, especially those who live in their homes for a long time, the public learned during the session.
Existing homesteads would be added to the new floating exemption.
Richmond County’s tax accessor says this is an additional exemption, and that is something some homeowners want.
“When we take a vote, we assume the voters know what they are doing and we abide by what the voters say,” said Dan Funsch, an Augusta resident.
Here’s what people said during the public comment portion of the meeting:
- “I’m just stressed that seven of our commissioners are not here at a public hearing. … We are just here talking to empty chairs. Who are we talking to? The voters – 62% of voters voted for this – I don’t think it’s wise for our elected officials to overlook this. This is not something we voted on 10 years ago. We recently voted on this.”
- “The voters opted in. The bottom line is taxpayers want the relief. We don’t trust our commissioners to come back and do a FLOST,” said Moses Todd, the second speaker.
- The third person to speak said the matter is like “kicking the can down the road for taxes.” “So I say opt out. Because once you opt in, you can’t opt out. … It’s not going to have a really big impact if you already have homestead exemption. … It allows commissioners to come up with our own tax adjustments.”
- The fourth speaker said it doesn’t seem like it matters what the voters think.
- The fifth person to speak was Sue Parr, representing the Chamber of Commerce at the mayor’s request. She spoke about the shift of the burden to commercial properties if commissioners opt-in.
Johnson said: “I can’t speak to why some of the commissioners aren’t here. But we always want to make the decision that benefits the taxpayer. How do we make sure we protect the commercial properties/small businesses so we do not send them to neighboring counties?”
Richmond County’s tax accessor says this is an additional exemption, and that is something some homeowners want.
“When we take a vote, we assume the voters know what they are doing and we abide by what the voters say,” said Dan Funsch, an Augusta resident.
According to the tax accessor, opting in and maintaining the exemption could create a tax shift, placing the burden on commercial property owners, businesses and multifamily housing.
“I think it’s putting undue burden and undue stress on them,” said Angie Cox, president and CEO of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. “Not to mention the fact that with business owners already having increased costs elsewhere to shift that property tax onto the commercial owners, it’s just creating another cost for them.”
At the end, City Administrator Tameka Allen asked how many people in the room truly understood what was being presented.
About half raised their hand.
She said if the city opts in, “homeowners may save some money, but that burden will shift to commercial and non-homesteaders. … We respect that you voted for this – but we want to make sure you understand what’s all involved.”
Later as the commission went into its regular meeting, Todd again pointed out to commissioners that the public voted to opt in, and “we’ve been generous to this government as far as SPLOSTs go.”
“I understand the need of our local government needing revenues to operate,” he said. “But I call upon you to not take this away from voters. I ask that you give us our FLOST if you opt out.”
FLOST is a type of sales tax to make up the lost revenues.
Allen reminded commissioners they have until March 1 to decide on opting in or out. She said the city has held all the public meetings that are required.
No decision was made Tuesday, however.
Clark said: “I know everyone keeps saying there was a 62% vote, but unfortunately I don’t think everyone understood what they were voting for. This is something all counties in Georgia are facing … I highly encourage everyone to not rely on the rumor mill with this.”
Guilfoyle said now is the best time to discuss the pros and cons.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” he said.
He said the best thing is to pause and decide something next week.
Commissioner Catherina Smith Rice seconded the motion, and Guilfoyle asked Allen to look at other avenues for revenues.
The city general counsel said there needs to be a special called meeting on the matter, and it will be added to the 11 a.m. agenda before commissioners meet at the committee level next week.
Copyright 2025 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
The dream of finding an affordable home can feel increasingly out of reach for many prospective buyers, especially those in the middle-income bracket.
While the housing market might appear robust on paper, a closer look reveals a significant disconnect between available homes and what many can truly afford.
A collaborative piece from Realtor.com® and the National Association of Realtors®, the 2026 Housing Mismatch Report, highlights this critical issue. It reveals that middle-income households continue to face the largest supply gap, with buyers earning around $75,000 able to afford homes priced up to about $261,140.
Homes priced below this point currently account for only about 23% of listings nationally, compared with about 44% in a balanced market, representing an effective shortage of about 311,000 listings within reach of these buyers.
This disparity means that 36% of metros fall below 70% alignment, indicating that many lower- and middle-income households struggle to find listings within their price range. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, this challenge is particularly evident, as the metro currently faces a shortage of homes for middle-income earners.
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC’s housing landscape
The housing market in Augusta, GA and the surrounding Richmond County presents a challenging picture for middle-income buyers. According to the report, for buyers earning $75,000, the metro is categorized as having a moderate shortage of affordable homes.
In March 2026, only 30.60% of listings were considered affordable for these buyers, a decrease from 33.80% in March 2025. This translates to a deficit of 787 affordable listings missing from the market.
Additionally, the report gives the area an alignment score that shows how well the current distribution of home listings matches the distribution of household incomes in a given market.
A score of 100% means listings are distributed proportionally across income levels, while a lower score means the available listings do not match what local buyers can afford. The score is calculated by comparing, at each of 12 income tiers, the actual share of listings that a household in that tier can afford against the share they would be able to afford in a balanced market, when listing prices are distributed proportionally across all income groups.
For the Augusta-Richmond County metro, the March 2026 Listing-Income Alignment Score stood at 78.90%. While this represents a positive change of +4.4 compared to 2025, it still marks a significant decline of 16.7 when compared to 2019.
This indicates that despite some recent improvements, the market still has a long way to go to truly align with the financial realities of its local buyers.
Experts weigh in on the path forward
Addressing the housing challenges in metros like Augusta-Richmond County requires more than just an increase in overall inventory. Experts emphasize the need for homes that align with what buyers can actually afford.
“The data makes clear that more inventory alone won’t be enough to unlock the housing market,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com®, explains. “A true recovery requires homes at the right price points.”
She adds, “Until the supply of entry-level and middle-market homes grows to meet demand, many buyers will continue to find the market out of reach despite headline improvements in affordability and inventory.”
Nadia Evangelou, NAR principal economist and director of real estate research, echoes this sentiment. “The U.S. housing market continues to face a structural mismatch between the homes available for sale and what buyers can afford,” she states.
Evangelou further notes, “Too much of the inventory available today remains concentrated at higher price points, leaving a shortage of options for entry-level and middle-income buyers.”
These insights underscore the urgent need for targeted solutions to create a more balanced and accessible housing market for everyone.
Generated with AI assistance and finalized through human editorial oversight by Dina Sartore-Bodo and Gabriella Iannetta.
The Augusta-based manufacturer of one of the world’s leading brands of golf carts could split from parent company Textron by the end of 2027.
Textron has announced its intention to concentrate its aerospace and defense subsidiaries into a separate company called New Textron, including Textron Aviation, Textron Systems, and Bell, a brand that produces military-grade helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft. It also oversees general aviation brands Cessna and Beechcraft.
Textron Specialized Vehicles is part of the company’s Industrial segment, which expects more than $3 billion in 2026 revenue. TSV properties include E-Z-GO golf carts; PACE Technology, which manufactures global positioning systems customized for golf courses; Jacobsen, a producer of turf maintenance equipment; and TUG Technologies, which makes airport ground support equipment such as baggage tractors.
“This planned separation creates greater clarity and focus for both businesses,” Textron CEO Lisa M. Atherton said in a statement. “New Textron will move forward as a pure-play aerospace and defense company positioned for higher growth, while Industrial gains the independence to pursue strategies aligned with its distinct strengths — unlocking long-term value for all stakeholders.”
The company “intends to explore multiple paths to effect the planned separation of its Industrial segment, including but not limited to a sale of the Industrial businesses or a tax-free separation into a standalone, publicly traded company,” according to Textron.
Textron said in its April 30 first-quarter earnings call to stockholders that it estimates the complete corporate separation to occur within 12 to 18 months, implying Halloween 2027 at the latest.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Fort Gordon service members will soon have more opportunities to further their education thanks to a partnership between Augusta University and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon.
Augusta University President Russell T. Keen and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence Maj. Gen. Ryan M. Janovic will sign a new memorandum to continue their partnership at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the Shaffer MacCartney Building at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University.
Augusta University first began its partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence back in 2016.
The new memorandum will provide additional opportunities for service members to receive degree credit for military training through Augusta University and AU Online.
The programs being updated under the new agreement include: Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Technology, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies, Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies with a Technical Intelligence Analysis Concentration and the PhD in Intelligence, Defense and Cybersecurity Policy.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence to create new educational opportunities for the men and women who serve our nation,” Keen said.
Janovic emphasized the magnitude of the relationship and the critical skillsets it supports.
“This partnership with Augusta University is a force multiplier for our formations. By translating our rigorous military training into academic credit, we bridge the gap between military instruction and higher education,” Janovic said.
“Through this partnership, we are preparing experienced military leaders to build on the skills they have already developed and continue serving in ways that advance our national security, strengthen Georgia’s workforce and create lasting impact for generations to come. Their commitment to service extends far beyond the battlefield. It continues in the communities they protect, the organizations they lead and the lives they influence every day,” said Keen.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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