Augusta Commission discusses tax increase | The Augusta Chronicle

A 2-mill property tax increase for government operations and a new tax on manufacturers to fund law enforcement, transit and reduce blight might be on the horizon after Augusta Commission members approved the two “action items” at the end of a daylong Friday retreat.

The new tax, an excise tax on energy used in manufacturing, puts them at odds with Mayor-elect Hardie Davis, who co-authored the legislation that exempted manufacturers from paying sales tax on energy but allowed counties to replace the lost revenue with an excise tax.

Davis, who attended the retreat, questioned the wisdom of imposing the tax, up to 2 percent of the 6 percent exempted by the state, a move already taken by Columbia County.

“Does it make us as competitive as a city?” he asked. “Are we being revenue-neutral by doing it?”

via Augusta Commission discusses tax increase | The Augusta Chronicle.