Sunday, March 30, 2014

Three Candidate Forums Set For Oconee County May 20 Primary Election

Before Voting Starts On April 28

Oconee County citizens will have at least three opportunities in April to put questions in open meetings to the five candidates seeking two spots on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners.

The Oconee County Republican Party is holding the first of three scheduled forums on Thursday, April 17, at the Watkinsville Community Center, 191 VFW Drive. That meeting starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Oconee County Water and Sewer Rates To Increase Again If Commissioners Approve Utility Department Request

About 3 Percent Jump

Water and sewer customers in Oconee County will pay about 3 percent more in fees starting July 1 if the Board of Commissioners approves the budget request presented by Utility Department Director Chris Thomas earlier this month.

The water rate increase would be the seventh in as many years for the county, and the sewer rate increase would be the sixth in six years.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Oconee County Commissioners Tonight Approved New SPLOST Schedule For November Vote

New Public Hearings Set

Oconee County Commissioners tonight agreed to a new schedule for the 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum, setting up public hearings in June and July that will lead up to a vote on Nov. 4.

The schedule calls for the Board of Commissioners to vote at its meeting on Aug. 5 on the final list of projects to be funded by the SPLOST, should voters approve it in November.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Whitehall Road Closure In 2015 Will Require Simonton Bridge Road Detour

Three Months

Athens-Clarke County plans to close Whitehall Road between the Middle Oconee River and Milledge Avenue for three to four months in the summer of 2015, altering the flow of traffic into and out of Oconee County via Simonton Bridge Road.

Simonton Bridge At Main Street

Monday, March 17, 2014

Car Tag Survey Playing Key Role In Argument By Oconee County Officials For Tax Referendum

"Let Others Pay"

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis has written two columns in The Oconee Enterprise about the county's most recent car tag survey.

Davis also spoke enthusiastically about the survey on Feb. 10 when the county presented citizens a list of proposals for possible funding by the planned 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Oconee County Issues Third Building Permit For Long Dormant Business Park On Hog Mountain Road

Fits Pattern For County

Oconee County late last month issued a building permit for the third of three permitted buildings in the long dormant Legacy Building Park on Hog Mountain Road east of Butler's Crossing.

The exteriors of two 1,735-square-foot-buildings are completed. They were permitted in November of last year.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

Caterpillar Detailed Hiring Report Shows Average Of 214 Full-Time Employees At Plant Site In 2013

364 Total Positions

Caterpillar hired 364 full-time employees in 2013, including 60 contract service workers, allowing it to claim the 364 figure in the compliance report it filed with Oconee County on Feb. 26 as required by the memorandum of understanding it signed with the county.

Caterpillar said its monthly average of full-time jobs for 2013 on the site of its new plant on the Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County border was 214. The goal stipulated in the memorandum was 100, allowing Caterpillar to state that there was no jobs shortfall for 2013.

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Oconee County Commissioners Delay SPLOST Vote Until November

Split Vote

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners voted 3-1 tonight to postpone from May 20 until November 4 the referendum on a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Commissioners Margaret Hale and John Daniell were joined by Commissioner Jim Luke in voting for the delay.

Oconee County Commissioners Agree To Spending Priorities For SPLOST 2015

At Least Tentatively

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners agreed after a five-hour meeting last night to a tentative list of spending priorities for the planned 2015 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

Whether the agreement will be sufficient to result in a vote to put the issue on the May 20 ballot only will be known at the regular BOC meeting tonight, which starts at 7 p.m. at the courthouse, and which includes further discussion of the tax referendum.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

Oconee County Commissioners To Hold Called Meeting On Monday On SPLOST Requests

Push For May Vote

Oconee County Commissioners have agreed to a called meeting on Monday to discuss funding priorities for the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum they are scheduled to take up again at their regular meeting on Tuesday night.

The goal of the Monday meeting is to get enough agreement on the priorities so the Commissioners can decide on Tuesday night to put the issue on the May 20 ballot rather than postpone the vote until November.