AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The 2023 election season has begun and Augusta’s biggest item on the ballot that affects everyone in Richmond County is a possible sales tax for a new James Brown Arena.

The tax would charge half a percent on all goods that are subject to sales tax, which would be 50 cents for a $100 purchase.

But as it turns out, a no vote wouldn’t just stop the extra tax.

While some people are worried about how much money this may be taking out of tax-payer pockets, the Coliseum Authority says that if it isn’t approved now, a new arena may not be approved in many years to come, or at all.

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“This is the last bullet in our gun. We’re going to shoot it no matter what on November 7, and then the guns empty,” said Brad Usry, Vice Chairman of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority.

From air problems to water leakage, Usry says the costs to keep up this late 1970′s pillar are growing exponentially every month.

“Or as folks like to call it, lipstick on a pig,” Usry said. ”In a lot of ways from capacity for seating, capacity for rigging, and when I say capacity of rigging I mean the weight of the shows now. We’ve lost shows, we’ve lost Lionel Richie, we lost Carrie Underwood, we lost Dave Matthews Band, because of the weight of the shows. Not the capacity.”

He says trying to put in a new arena later would be even more expensive.

“You’re talking about $250 million in today’s dollars, and next year this building’s probably $265 million. So if we don’t do it now, not only finding another funding mechanism, the building costs go up. But right now, as far as the Coliseum Authority, this is our last shot at funding the building,” said Usry.

The Coliseum Authority only expects about 8-10% of Augusta-Richmond County taxpayers to show up for this election, but want more to come out so their voices can be heard.

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