Augusta City Hall news
Augusta city government news, newest first: city council votes, the mayor, the budget and new ordinances, each story linked to the agenda or minutes.
Top story
Augusta school board results: District 3 heads to runoff
Kenyatta Brown and Carol J. Yancy face a Dec. 1 runoff in District 3. Charles Williams leads incumbent Edward Lowery by 61 votes in District 6. Unofficial.
Who to call and how to vote
Trash
Trash and recycling pickup in Augusta: schedule, holidays, bulk
Augusta collects trash, yard waste and bulk items weekly on one day; carts out by 6 a.m. Recycling is now a sign-up service from Coastal: 706-790-4117.
Early voting
Voting in Richmond County: registration, polls, early voting
Early voting for the Nov. 3 election runs Oct. 13-30 at four Augusta sites, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Absentee request deadline: Oct. 23. Elections: 706-821-2340.
Augusta Commission
Who to call at City Hall in Augusta
Augusta 311: dial 3-1-1 or 706-821-2300. Mayor Garnett Johnson: 706-821-1831. Commissioners by district, utilities, sheriff, animal services and more.
Latest stories
Zoning
Augusta zoning draft would keep new vape shops 1,200 feet from schools
Augusta's draft zoning code would keep new vape, tobacco, kratom and hemp shops 1,200 feet from schools, parks, day cares and each other. Updated November 2026.
Schools
Augusta Nov. 3 results: school board runoff, amendments pass
District 3 school board heads to a Dec. 1 runoff and District 6 is 61 votes apart in unofficial results. Every Augusta contest, candidate and amendment.
City hall
Augusta's proposed 2027 budget would raise water rates 6.5%
Augusta's $1.26 billion 2027 budget plan raises water and sewer rates 6.5% and trades a 2-mill tax increase for the new FLOST. The commission votes Nov. 17.
Zoning
Augusta zoning rewrite: what the new draft changes
Augusta's first full zoning rewrite since 1963: new districts, backyard cottages and short-term rental limits. The Planning Commission heard it Oct. 21; the Augusta Commission votes last.
Zoning
Augusta zoning draft drops its short-term rental rules
Augusta's Oct. 23 zoning draft cuts the short-term rental rules the Oct. 14 version had. What changed, what the city has not said, and what comes next.
Early voting
Richmond County early votes hit 38,009; last day busiest
38,009 people voted early in person in Richmond County, 4,431 on the final day, and 2,347 mail ballots are back. How to vote on Election Day, Nov. 3.
Fire
Augusta firefighters get $305K for cancer screenings
A $305,405 federal grant will pay for cancer screenings and yearly mental health check-ins for Augusta firefighters. What the money covers and how it splits.
Zoning
Augusta short-term rental rules cut from new zoning draft
Augusta's Oct. 23 zoning draft removed the short-term rental rules. The Oct. 14 version allowed them only downtown, on farmland and in 2 mixed-use districts.