Oconee School Board Receives Bids For New Classrooms At Colham Ferry Elementary School, New Policies On Public Comment

***Also Reviews Impact Of Hourly Salary Increases***

The Oconee County Board of Education on Monday will be asked to award a $3.1 million contract for the 10-classroom addition to Colham Ferry Elementary School, the first expenditures from the Education Local Option Sales Tax approved by voters in March.

Construction is expected to begin in late summer and be complete for the next school year.

Brock Toole, chief operations officer for Oconee County Schools, presented the recommendation that the contract go to Amacher Bros. Construction Company of Atlanta at the School Board’s work session on Monday.

Watkinsville Early Voting Slowing In Final Days Before June 15 Special Election

***Only Two Absentee Ballots Returned

Early voting slowed to a trickle on Monday, with only 11 persons casting a ballot in the Watkinsville Special Election that will fill the position of Mayor and Post 1 Council Member.

As of the end of the day on Monday, a total of only 232 voters had cast a ballot, and two more had returned an absentee ballot.

The total of 234 ballots cast is 10.4 percent of the city’s 2,247 eligible voters.

Oconee County Commissioners Pass Fiscal Year 2022 Budget But Property Tax Rate Not Yet Set

***Expect Millage Rate Reduction***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday adopted a $58.5 million Fiscal Year 2022 budget that anticipates a reduction in the county’s property tax rate.

The size of the reduction has not yet been specified, however, and it isn’t likely to be enough to offset inflationary growth in the tax digest.

The Board has scheduled three hearings on the new millage rate for July and August leading up to adoption of the rate on Aug. 3.

Northeast Health District Adds 99 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week, Two Confirmed Deaths From Disease

***District, Oconee, Clarke, State Lag National Vaccine Averages***

The Northeast Health District added 99 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Friday and two new confirmed deaths attributed to the disease.

The 99 added cases of COVID-19 compare with the 141 cases and the four confirmed deaths added in the week ending May 28.

The average of 14.1 new cases per day for the week ending on Friday compares with the average of 20.1 new cases per day for the week ending on May 28.

Oconee School Board Approves Resolution To Sell $37.2 Million In Bonds For School Projects

***Half Of Debt From 2016 Bond Sale Remains To Be Paid***

The Oconee County Board of Education has authorized the sale of $37.2 million in General Obligation Bonds for capital projects approved by voters in the Education Local Option Sales Tax referendum on March 16.

The Board took the action in a special called meeting that followed a budget hearing held by the Board on May 18.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners finalized the action by approving the resolution at it meeting on Tuesday evening.

Oconee County African-American Leaders Talk About History And Future Of County

***African-Americans Made Up Half Of County In Past***

Three leaders of African-American churches in Oconee County called for greater involvement of African-Americans in the county’s future at a meeting of the Oconee County Democrat Party earlier this month.

They also called for a greater appreciation of the contribution of African-Americans to the county’s past.

The goal of that increased involvement, Rev. Joseph Nunnally told Oconee Democrats, is “to make Oconee County one community” sensitive to the views of all its members.

Northeast Health District Adds 141 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week, Four Confirmed Deaths From Disease

***Oconee County adds 66th Confirmed COVID-19 Death***

The Northeast Health District added 141 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Friday and four new confirmed deaths attributed to the disease.

The 141 added cases of COVID-19 compare with the 199 added cases and the six confirmed deaths added in the week ending May 21.

The average of 20.1 new cases per day for the week ending on Friday compares with the average of 28.4 new cases per day for the week ending on May 21.