Claims of potential voter fraud, mapping property appeals, detours: This week in government

The wider, more pedestrian-friendly 13th Street bridge connecting Augusta with North Augusta may still be years away, but the detours that Greeneway Trail users will have to take during its construction is up for discussion this week. An Augusta man is challenging some people's right to vote. Area leaders resume talks about property tax rates. And seemingly endless lane closures and detours will continue to plague Grovetown-area motorists.

Here's what you need to know in local government this week.

Before ped-friendly bridge comes unfriendly detours

Getting across Augusta's 13th Street bridge comes with a few risks if you're traveling via bike or foot: Runners, walkers, strollers and cyclists all share its single narrow sidewalk on the west side of the bridge, and there's no barrier between the pedestrian and the vehicle traffic. The bridge serves as a connector between the North Augusta Greeneway and Augusta Canal Trail.

But in 2025 the Georgia Department of Transportation will begin construction on a replacement bridge that will feature a 10-foot shared-use path on the west side and a six-foot standard sidewalk on the east side, according to GDOT Project Manager Jeff Henry. GDOT will also construct a tunnel under 13th Street to connect the Bartram Trail with the Augusta Canal Historic Trail.

Drivers and trail users will face detours and closures during construction, which will take place over four years.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will present details about proposed trail detours to the North Augusta City Council at its 6 p.m. Monday study session.

New 13th Street bridge project: What drivers and pedestrians can expect on the new bridge

The project will close trail sections and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge, Georgia Avenue and 15th Street, although the Greeneway tunnel under Georgia Avenue will remain open, according to a GDOT flier. On the Augusta side, construction will close the trail section between 13th and 14th streets.

Proposed stairways up to the bridge on the North Augusta side are no longer being considered, a July 2022 update to GDOT's project overview video states.

Man claims 18 local voters also registered in Texas

An Augusta man is challenging the eligibility to vote of 18 Richmond County voters.

David Miller, a retired Richmond County educator, has compiled a list of 18 people on the Augusta voter list who are also registered voters in Texas. He cites records from the Texas Secretary of State that say they are active, registered Texas voters.

Richmond County Board of Elections is holding a hearing on the voters' eligibility during its 6 p.m. Monday meeting. The burden of proving them ineligible is on Miller, and the affected voters have been notified about the challenges, said Travis Doss, executive director for Richmond County Board of Elections.

Only two on Miller’s list are active Georgia voters, according to Miller's records, meaning they cast a ballot at least once over the last four years.

Richmond County Board of Elections statistics showed 119,949 registered voters as of Friday, a decrease of 9,161 since the June 21 primary and nonpartisan runoff.

1K residents in 110 neighborhoods question property values

Augusta commissioners are set to begin discussion of the property tax rates used to calculate tax bills that go out in the fall. The city is the only en in Richmond or Columbia counties that has not set a rate.

The rates, known as the millage, are applied to the assessed value of a property, and thousands of owners saw increases in their assessed values this year.

Augusta saw 1,186 homeowners across 110 designated neighborhoods appeal their new values, according to data from Scott Rountree, chief appraiser for the Richmond County Board of Tax Assessors.

Twenty neighborhoods saw at least 10 homeowners file appeals, according to the data. The most appeals, 45, came from "Wheeler Heights," which runs from Bransford Road to the Sand Hills historic district, and Fleming Heights, home to many members of Augusta's Alleluia Community, with 38.

One tax assessors board member, Juanita Burney, said she encountered “extreme anxiety” about the increases in Sand Hills, where many owners are older and on fixed incomes.

Hearings on school tax hikes Tuesday

The Richmond County Board of Education will hold public hearings at noon and 6 p.m. Tuesday on its plan to increase property taxes.

The board adopted a historically low millage rate of 17.65 mills in response to growth in the tax digest. Still, the rate could be lower and raise the same revenue as last year, so the hearings must be held.

The millage rate would increase the tax bill on a $150,000 house occupied by its owner by $45.59. The bill on a non-homesteaded house valued at $200,000 would go up by $66.32, according to the school system.

Lane closures, traffic shifts continue in Grovetown area

Contractors with E. R. Snell will continue construction related to the Lewiston Road widening project next week that will require lane closures and traffic shifts, according to a statement from the county.

From 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday a lane will be closed on Hereford Farm Road north of Columbia Road.

From 9 a.m to 2:30 p.m., a southbound lane will be closed on Lewiston Road from William Few Parkway to the eastbound I-20 exit ramp at Exit 190.

The right lane of the westbound I-20 exit ramp onto Lewiston Road is expected to be closed for several months.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Gov't week: Trail detours for new bridge, ineligible voters, tax hikes