Election night: Arena vote passes, Blythe, Hephzibah, Grovetown results in
Augusta will be getting a 0.5% sales tax to fund a major renovation at the Augusta Entertainment Complex, including the James Brown Arena.
"It's a good night for Augusta. I think there was a mandate that Augusta is ready for this project," said Brad Usry, vice president of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority.
The victory for the sales tax was decisive, with about a 2-1 margin. According to numbers posted by the Richmond County Board of Elections Tuesday evening; 16,162 total votes were cast, including 4,247 before election day. Total turnout was about 13%.
Usry said that they will hold a meeting Thursday to plan next steps in moving the project forward.
The tax will raise about $433 million for major renovations to the Augusta Entertainment Complex. This includes a $250 million bond and interest over time through 2043. The vote was authorized by state House Bill 230 earlier this year, leaving the final decision up to voters, and was backed by a number of local organizations.
Poll worker Pat McCoy helped a lot of voters Tuesday morning at the Julian Smith Casino polling place.
“It’s been steady,” she said just after lunch. “I’d say about 300.”
She wasn’t too far off. Polling place manager Christopher Yount put the precise morning count at 293, with very few problems.
“One time, a voter just wasn’t finishing through the prompts,” he said. "We walked over and advised her on how to proceed, no problem. Other than that, everything’s fairly smooth."
In voting “no” to reject a proposed half-cent sales tax to build a new James Brown Arena in downtown Augusta, Marie Nicholson said she’s thinking about safety.
But she said she likes what she’s seen so far of the Bell Auditorium’s remodeling
“It’s nice, and I’ll go there. I have gone there several times,” Nicholson said. “I just don’t feel comfortable down there at the James Brown Arena.”
The stakes: Why does Augusta need a new arena and a sales tax to pay for it? Coliseum authority explains
Local elections in Richmond, Columbia County
Winners of local races:
Blythe City Council (two seats): Incumbents Noel Cartagena and Daniel Martin both retained their seats with about 29% and 27% of the vote, respectively. Also running were Anna M. Reeves, who received about 23%, and Mike Rineer, who received about 21%.
City of Hephzibah Commission (two seats): Jordan C. Rhoades and incumbent Clay Fulcher both ran unopposed for the available seats.
City of Grovetown Mayor: Gary Jones, incumbent, was leading with 42% of the vote in a three-way race on Tuesday evening with 580 votes and all four precincts reporting. He was trailed by Ceretta Smith with 36% of the vote and Deborah Fisher with 22%.
City of Grovetown Council (two seats): Incumbent Eric W. Blair and Richard Bowman led with 833 and 834 votes respectively on Tuesday evening. Marsha Keating, the third person in the race, had 726 votes.
The total turnout in the Grovetown municipal races was about 15%.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Arena referendum passes, Blythe, Hephzibah, Grovetown results in
