GOVERNMENT, SCHOOLS, WATER & SEWER
The local county government is made up of elected commissioners from each of the five districts in Columbia County. Each Commissioner is chairman over a committee that provides the conduit for information and business to be conducted from the various County departments such as Board of Elections, Finance Services, Human Resources, Community Services, Emergency Services, Planning and Development, Engineering and Environmental Services, Construction and Maintenance and Water and Sewage Services. The Clerk of Superior Court, the Probate Court Judge, the Coroner, the Magistrate Court Judge, the Sheriff and the Tax Commissioner work closely with the Board of Commissioners to provide governmental support to the citizens of the county. The County Administrator handles the daily operations of the county.

There are two municipalities in Columbia County. The Cities of Grovetown and Harlem each elect a Mayor and four City Council members.

COLUMBIA COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAXES

The effective tax rate represents total tax liability as a percentage of fair market value.

Effective tax rate 1.005%

Effective rate of $1.005 per $100 of fair market value.

Taxes equate to $1,005.00 annually for a $100,000 home.

SCHOOLS
The Columbia County school system is recognized as one of the best in the state of Georgia. In 1998 SchoolMatch, an independent service which helps relocating employees find the best schools for their children, rated the Columbia County School System in the top 10% among the nation's 15,619 districts in meeting the demand for excellence. Expansion Management magazine named the Columbia County School System as one of four blue ribbon counties in the state of Georgia. In 1999, Governor Barnes visited Lakeside High School to honor it as one of two in the state to have the most students from the class receive Governor's Scholarships. The Georgia Public Policy Foundation recognized Stevens Creek Elementary in both 1998 and 1999 as the #1 elementary school in the Southeast. In 2001, Riverside Middle School was recognized as a School of Excellence.

There are 14 elementary, 6 middle and 4 high schools in the county. Total enrollment for 1999-2000 was 18,271 in K-12 with Special Ed, 320 Lottery Pre-K and 41 in Special Ed Pre-K. There are two private schools, Augusta Preparatory Day School and Augusta Christian.

WATER

• Utility is operated by the local government
• Two main plants, with Savannah River and Clark's Hill Reservoir as sources
• Combined capacity is 22.5 million gallons per day (mgd).
• Combined average demand is 7.8 mgd.
• Combined average excess capacity is 14.7 mgd.
• Expansion plans are underway for the capacity to increase up to 30.0 (mgd).
• Treatment is Flocculation, settling, and rapid sand filtration

SEWER

• Three plants
• Combined treatment capacity of 6.0 mgd.
• Combined average demand is 4.0 mgd.
• Combined average excess capacity is 2.0 mgd.
• Treatment is tertiary

LANDFILL INFORMATION
Baker Place Road Landfill

The incorporated area of Columbia County has a city contract for waste pick up whereas the residents of the unincorporated area of Columbia County have the opportunity to choose their private collector.

Columbia County also has a private Construction & Demolition (C&D) landfill.