Sales Tax Increase A Tough Sell

Augusta, GA—Emma Austin was downtown doing a little window shopping. She knows Augusta has budget troubles, but she has a quick answer when it comes to wanting to increase the city sales tax to take care of it. “No I would not, I think seniors the retirees are taxed enough already,” she said.

But, some Augusta Commissioners see the sales tax as one way to ease the burden on property owners. What’s being recommended is a one percent increase, from seven to eight cents on the dollar, and they would like to give Augusta voters the chance to weigh in.

“A referendum that says do you want it or do you not want it so it’s not up to ten people to make a decision on the taxes you pay,” said Commissioner Don Grantham, who proposed the sales tax increase two years ago.

The first step would be for the Commission to approve a resolution asking state lawmakers to put the sales tax increase on the ballot in a special referendum.

It’s not a move Mayor Pro-Tem Alvin Mason would make. “I couldn’t support this at this point I would have to have a lot more information in relation to that,” he said.

And State Representative Quincy Murphy says he’s not sold on increasing the sales tax, even if Commissioners requested the referendum. “No considering the fact as a community you can tax yourself as a community into uncompetitive position,” he said.

“I’m concerned because there might be another one cent sales tax being looked at in Atlanta for funding transportation, trauma centers, we’ve got lots of holes in our budgets,” said State Representative Barbara Sims, who favors putting the sales tax on the ballot next year.

Some city leaders feel the sales tax increase would easily take care of the city’s budget needs but it looks like there will be nothing easy about it.

“One more penny of sales tax for everything we have to purchase we’re on fixed incomes and were just not making it,” said Austin.