Oconee County State Rep. Gisler, At Third Town Hall Meeting, Reviews Legislation As General Assembly Session Nears Its End

***Expresses Concern About QR Code Mandate On Ballots***

State Rep. Eric Gisler’s Third Town Hall meeting quickly became a conversation, and he exchanged ideas with the audience on topics including gun control, voting rights, education funding, property and income taxes, and the state budget surplus.

Gisler, representing Oconee County in House District 121, noted as the session at the Town of North High Shoals Town Hall got underway that he knew everyone in the audience, and many had been involved in his campaign leading up to the special election last December that put him in the General Assembly in January.

No Kings Rally Draws Crowd At Center Of Watkinsville On Saturday

One Of 10 Local Sites For National Rally***

More than 230 people turned out on a sunny but cool Saturday afternoon in front of the historic Eagle Tavern and in front of the Oconee County Courthouse on Main Street in downtown Watkinsville to join the national No Kings rally.

Protesters carried hand-created signs with the No Kings theme, but also protesting the war in Iran, the cost of gasoline, President Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, and the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chair Says State Of County Is Strong, Recommends Avoiding Major Road Construction Sites

***Offers Updates On Dawson Park***

Oconee County Commission Chair John Daniell waited until about 12 minutes into his 40-minute-long State of the County address on Wednesday to talk about what he said he knew his audience was most interested in hearing: his annual transportation project update.

Daniell reviewed the status of 11 Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) projects in the county and eight county funded projects.

Latest Version Of Property Tax Relief Bill Before Georgia Senate Will Shift Benefit To Homesteaded Property, Oconee County Chair States

***Cap On Revenue Will Affect Schools As Well***

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell took a pause in his summary of county finances in his State of the County address on Wednesday (March 18) to comment on property tax legislation passed by the Georgia House of Representatives and now before the Senate.

Daniell said the current version of House Bill 1116 would impact the county in three ways.

Oconee County Commissioners Call Special Town Hall Meeting To Get Citizen Input On Emergency Ambulance Service Options

***County Facing “Challenges” With Existing Service ***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners, seeking input on the provision of emergency medical services (EMS) in the county, will hold a called Town Hall Meeting at 6 p.m. on March 26 at the Oconee County Administrative Building, 7635 Macon Highway, north of Watkinsville.

The meeting will focus on the current arrangement for provision of EMS in the county and on options for the future, according to the announcement on the county web site.

Oconee County School Board Votes To Update Access Control Panels At System’s Schools To Strengthen Security Across District

***Purchase Part Of Expanding List Of ESPLOST Projects***

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday night approved spending $108,128 for the purchase and installation of 120 new access control panels for doors in the system’s 12 schools.

Tony McCullers, Chief Technology Officer for Oconee County Schools, told the Board the purchase will address technology needs of the schools and strengthen overall security across the district.

Oconee County Commissioner Horton, Speaking To County Democrats, Says He Is Pushing For Quick Action On Development Of New Park

***Horton Says Sports Fields And Gym Needed Quickly***

When the Oconee County Democratic Party asked County Commissioner Chuck Horton to give an overview of the proposed new Dawson Park last week, Horton focused on what he sees as the immediate need for new sports fields and a gym.

The long-range plan for the 250-acre site on Rocky Branch Road that now is the county’s Land Application System (LAS) site includes bike and walking trails, a dog park, ponds, playgrounds, and picnic areas.