Augusta, GA
Augusta leaders weigh the will of voters on tax exemption
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta commissioners on Monday spent a lot of their meeting discussing the law allowing the city to opt out of a “floating” homestead exemption for property taxes.
A new Georgia law was approved by voters to cap property tax increases. But as part of that law, local communities can opt out of the plan – and several in the CSRA say they intend to do so after a required series of public hearings.
Whether Augusta will do so was a topic of discussion Monday.
At the Augusta Commission meeting, Bob Young reminded fellow commissioners that 60% of Augusta voters voted “yes” for the homestead exemption.
He says the question of opting out of the cap goes beyond the homestead exemption but rather casts doubt on whether referendums mean anything in Richmond County.
“The exemption is just another incentive for people to invest in homeownership in Augusta, Richmond County,” said Young. “So my message to you is that you don’t need to schedule any public hearings about opting out. The public hearing was held on Nov. 5, when 48,000 people in Richmond County said give us our tax break.”
He said he doesn’t understand why anyone would consider taking away the voices of more than 60% and “tossing it out” in a process he called voter nullification.
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Augusta Commission: More from the meeting
- Leaders discussed the number of small signs advertising home repairs and other services in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Rice says she’s willing “to yank the signs up” if it helps speed up the process.
- Shovon Burton discussed the Laurel Park subdivision. She said the storm drains are “polluted” with trees and other debris. Commissioner Catherine Rice recommended Burton discuss the matter with engineering and code enforcement administrator’s office to work something out
- Commissioners approved the recommendation of the Daniel Field General Aviation Commission to award the airfield pavement rehab project to Reeves Construction under a state grant contract for $4.6 million.
He says the exemption “brings some control” to property taxes, and he doesn’t understand why officials didn’t voice concerns prior to the November vote.
Commissioner Wayne Guilfoyle said the challenge for a lot of elected officials is that they don’t know what the impact of the cap would be.
“There’s a lot of unanswered questions,” he said.
Guilfoyle also questioned what will happen to businesses and new construction in the community if commissioners take action on the homestead exemption
“We also are going to have to find funding to stay and keep our operations going, especially with our new sheriff’s department,” said Guilfoyle. “You got our judicial and you even got the marshal’s department that’s coming for us now looking for funding. Well, we are $8.7 million in the rear right now. Money’s got to come from somewhere and that’s something that we have to look at. That’s the elephant in the room for me.”
Young said these questions should have been answered before the referendum went on the ballot.
Mayor Garnett Johnson read the resolution straight from the ballot and said the opt-out potential was included in the language of the resolution voters pondered in November.
Young, on the other hand, said the ballot measure was written in “word salad.”
Commissioner Francine Scott said people need to know the 62% who voted for the measure indicated the percentage of voters, not the percentage of homeowners.
At the meeting, Sue Parr spoke on behalf of her client the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce.
“Opting out of this measure is not a tax break for the business community,” said Parr. “It is simply a matter of assessing equitable, fair property tax value on property, whether it’s commercial or homestead. We need both.”
She agreed with Young about not wanting to nullify the vote but advocated moving forward with public hearings – saying that would be a chance for commissioners to hear what the community has to say and for business owners to explain what the tax hike would do to customers.
She said 50% of homes in Augusta-Richmond County are not owner-occupied, and that there’s a lot of new housing on the way.
“This shouldn’t be a debate,” she said. “It should be a coming together.”
City Administrator Tameka Allen said officials will meet Wednesday to discuss public hearings so officials can decide what to do before the March 1 deadline.
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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