AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – In the Maddox Road area of Augusta, they are not embracing the new city fees.
“It’s going to make it hard on us. What can you say, what can you do? You got a piece of paper, I can sign a petition and say I don’t like this, I’ll do it,” said Kay Anthony.
What they don’t like here is that they’re losing free recycling, but their trash service fee is going up $54.
And this road doesn’t have streetlights, so residents have never been billed for them. But now, they will be paying a new $45 dollar.
“Don’t have a light, I’m not going to pay for $45,” said Sunye Rickerson.
“It looks like you’ll have to probably.”
“I know, but I don’t want to,” she answered.
Commissioners say the new fees are needed because the current charges do not cover the costs.
“Everybody wants the services and the benefits that they yield, but we have got to also realize it takes true dollars to keep this stuff going,” said Commissioner Don Clark.
And the costs may not be over.
City leaders put off until next week setting the property tax rates, where a take hike of about $90 dollars for the average priced home is on the table to offset a nearly $11-million-dollar hole in this year’s budget.
“We got to wait on that for next week. It seems like it’s always wait and pay more matter, it’s a wait and pay more matter,” said Bishop L.A. Green.
Out on Maddox Road, they say new trash and streetlight fees and maybe a property tax hike will matter.
“When you’re living on a fixed income, it really makes it hard and me and my brothers all three live here and we all live on a fixed income, you know. Yeah, it’s going to make it hard on us,” said Anthony.
And how hard the commission makes will be decided next week.
