Augusta resident’s frustrations grow as grass complaints continue

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Summer is near and one of the top complaints from Richmond County residents is maintaining county-owned grass.

Commissioners met on June 12 in a special work session meeting to assess the problem.

Commissioner Jordan Johnson says the lack of fiscal resources and manpower is the source of the issue.

In the special meeting, commissioners say their goal is to maintain county-owned and vacant lots on a more regular basis. Right now, they maintain the lots two to three times a year.

Brian Jackson, who lives on Windsor Spring Road, says for years he’s had to call in for the grass to be cut on the property beside his house.

This year, he said the county has not come out once.

“For the last three years, I’ve been going back and forth trying to keep this field here cut. You know, I get all kinds of stories for a while, they’ll come out and do it maybe twice, three times a year. And that’s about it. But this year, no one’s responding. No one’s coming back, call me back. Or no one’s ever came out and looked at the field and tried to cut it anything,” said Jackson.

Jackson said the grass and weeds have gotten to the point where a normal push mower can’t clean the area. Some of the weeds exceed his height.

He also says one of his neighbors has to come out and cut the grass beside their home just to keep it in check.

“If it was anybody else’s property that’s overgrown like this, the city would go out, cut it in them, write them a ticket, and make them pay for it. You know, but since it’s their property, who’s gonna write them a ticket?” said Jackson.

Commissioners said in the meeting they will further look into the issue and where to allocate more resources when they reassess the current budget in the next couple of weeks.

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