Oconee County commissioners on Tuesday night voted to ask the county Board of Elections and Registration to place on the May 19 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election ballot a referendum for renewal of the county’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST).
If voters approve the referendum, which is expected to generate conservatively $75 million in revenue, the county will spend $13.3 million of that amount to pay off debt from construction of Oconee Veterans Park and from construction of the county Administrative Building.
Just more than $24 million is allocated for parks and recreational facilities, $6.5 million for emergency facilities and equipment, $5.9 million for a county radio system, and $4.1 million for law enforcement vehicles.
The tax is expected to generate $5.3 million for general county facilities and $5 million for water and sewer projects. Farmland protection will get $600,000 and Historic and Scenic Facilities will receive $650,000.
The tax will run for six years starting late in 2027 without a cap because the commissioners on Tuesday also approved an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with all four of the county’s four cities, which will receive $9.8 million collectively for projects they have proposed.
The county Board of Elections and Registration is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Monday at the county Administrative Building to add officially the referendum to the ballot.
In other action on Tuesday, the Board of Commissioners agreed to spend $947,459 for repairs for the Civic Center, including for a new roof.
Finance Director Melissa Braswell, in her report to the Board, presented $443,730 in needed Fiscal Year 2026 budget amendments for unanticipated General Fund expenditures, including $100,000 for a HVAC replacement for the gym at Herman C. Michael Park and $34,600 for costs of the unanticipated Dec. 9 special election for House District 121.
Official Action
The commissioners began discussion of renewal of the current 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax at their strategic planning meeting in January of 2025.
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| Daniell 1/27/2026 |
The action on Tuesday asking the Board of Elections and Registration to put the referendum on the ballot was simply the final, official step by the Board of Commissioners, and it was taken without discussion.
The Board in January also tentatively agreed to put renewal of the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot in November.
The 8 percent sales tax in the county consists of 4 cents on the dollar that goes to the state, 1 cent for the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), 1 cent for the county Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), the 1 cent for the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST), and 1 cent for the Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST).
LOST continues without voter approval, and voters in November approved renewal of the ESPLOST.
The ballot language voters will see in May will refer to $90.4 million in revenue from SPLOST, but the county is budgeting its expenditures at $75 million, or 82.9 percent, to allow for possible shortfalls.
The exception to that is the payment of $3,750,447 to pay off the General Obligation Bond voters approved in 2002 for purchase of land for and construction of Oconee Veterans Park and $9,512,400 for debt for the county Administrative Building. The plan is to pay those amounts in full as the top priority.
Voters authorized the sale of $12.5 million in bonds for construction of the administrative building as part of the referendum for the current SPLOST, approved by voters in November of 2020.
Intergovernmental Agreement
The IGA approved by the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday lists just more than $7 million for the City of Watkinsville, to be used for City Facilities, Signage and Equipment ($3.7 million), Recreation, Park and Greenspace Facilities ($1.6 million), Transportation and Infrastructure Facilities ($1.2 million), and Public Safety Facilities and Equipment ($0.6 million).
The Town Of Bogart is to receive, at full receipt, $2.9 million, with $1.4 for General Facilities, $1.2 for Recreational And Park Facilities, and $0.2 million for Public Safety Facilities, Equipment, and Signage.
The Town of North High Schools is to receive $1.2 million, divided roughly among six categories: Park Facilities, Roads, Community Building, Fire Station Equipment, Greenway Facilities, and Jefferson Road And Town Park Drainage.
The Town of Bishop is to receive $0.7 million, all dedicated to Parks and Recreation Facilities.
The amount of the allocation is based on population.
Civic Center
Whitney Sperlik, Civic Center Director, told the Board that the roof of the Civic Center "has leaked throughout its existence, as you all know, I'm sure, and after multiple repairs.”
Tax records show construction of the building in 1993.
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| Sperlik Before Board 1/27/2026 |
Sperlik said the recommendation is that the roof be replaced rather than patched and that exterior restoration and repairs be completed before the roof is replaced.
The recommendation was that the Board award a bid of $578,500 to Watertight Roof Services for the roof and $298,959 for exterior restoration and repair.
Commissioner Amrey Harden asked what part the Board of Education will pay of that total cost of $947,459.
Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell said he had talked to School Board Chair Michael Ransom prior to the passage of the ESPLOST renewal in November and that Ransom agreed that the Oconee County Schools will cover half of the costs.
“We're going to carry it for now,” Daniell said, “just because we want to go ahead and get it done, and as their ESPLOST starts collecting, the Schools will pay half.”
The county owns and manages the Civic Center, but it was built on land donated by the Board of Education. The Board of Education pays for part of the utilities and maintenance in exchange for use of the facility free of charge.
The current ESPLOST account has $16.4 million in unspent monies, Oconee County School Chief Financial Officer Peter Adams told the Board last month, with bond payments of $5.9 million scheduled for this year.
The new ESPLOST approved by voters in November is expected to begin collecting tax revenue at the end of November or December.
The Board of Commissioners gave tentative approval of the bids for the new roof and repair, with final action scheduled to be taken at the meeting on Feb. 3
Announcements, Other Action
At the beginning of the meeting, Commission Chair Daniell said the county had received a letter from the applicant for a rezone and variance for a seven-building office/ warehouse/ flex space complex on Daniells Bridge Road asking to withdraw the request.
“Historically, the Board of Commissioners has not denied a request to withdraw,” he said, “so we just wanted to put that out there. If you have interest in that rezone, it has been requested to be taken off the calendar for next week.”
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| Haygood 1/27/2026 |
Daniell also announced that commissioners will hold the first Town Hall Meeting of the year at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Commission Chamber of the county Administrative Building, 7635 Macon Highway, north of Watkinsville.
Finance Director Braswell told the Board that the money to cover the $443,730 in amended expenditures for the current budget, including for the HVAC at Herman C. Michael Park and for the Dec. 9 election, will be covered by unbudgeted revenue from the Insurance Premium Tax and with unbudgeted interest receipts.
The Board approved, on the recommendation of County Attorney Daniel Haygood, the qualifying fees of $755.36 for the Board of Commissioners candidates in the May 19 primaries and $54 for the Board of Education candidates.
These amounts are 3 percent of the $25,178 base salary of commissioners and 3 percent of the $1,800 salary of Board of Education Members.
Both of the two commissioners whose terms expire at the end of this year, Amrey Harden and Chuck Horton, have announced their plans to seek reelection.
Board of Education Member Ryan Hammock also said on Monday he plans to seek reelection.
Board of Education Member Amy Parish said on Monday that she had not yet decided if she plans to run.
These are the only county races on the ballot in November. All four incumbents are Republicans.
Qualifying is March 2 to 6.
Video
The video below is on the county’s YouTube Channel.
The meeting starts at 14:21 in the video.
I attended the meeting and made my own video recording as a backup.
The images used above are from frames in my video,
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