Monday, September 28, 2026

Candidates At Farm Bureau Forum Oppose SR 15 Truck Bypass, Answer Questions On Property Taxes, Farmland Preservation

***Broad Support For Oconee County Agriculture Voiced***

All four of the candidates in state Senate District 46 and state House District 121 spoke out in opposition last week to the plans currently under consideration by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for a truck bypass linking SR 15 and U.S. 441 south of Watkinsville.

Speaking at a Candidate Forum organized by the Oconee County Farm Bureau, Democrats Ray Smith and Eric Gisler and Republicans Marc McMain and Mack “Dutch” Guest IV took nearly identical positions, saying that the routes under consideration would damage farmland important to the county.