Watkinsville Voters Overwhelmingly Pick Garrett For Council Post 1 In Special Election

Chuck Garrett overwhelmingly defeated Carolyn Maultsby in the Watkinsville special election on Tuesday to fill Post 1 on the Watkinsville City Council.

Only 89 voters went to the polls on Tuesday, and final turnout in the election was only 18.3 percent.

Small Number of Voters Likely To Cast Ballots In Watkinsville Special Election

***Early Voting Turnout Light***

Only about one in five of Watkinsville’s 2,247 registered voters is likely to decide whether Chuck Garrett or Carolyn Maultsby holds Post 1 on City Council through the end of this year.

At the end of early voting on Friday, 296 voters had cast a ballot in the 14 days of early voting in the special election.

All seven of the voters who had requested an absentee ballot had returned that ballot.

Northeast Health District Adds 107 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week, Nine Confirmed Deaths From Disease

***District, Oconee Below National Average In Level Of Vaccinations***

The Northeast Health District added 107 new cases of COVID-19 in the week ending on Friday, and nine confirmed deaths attributed to the disease.

The 107 added cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths compare with the 99 cases and the two confirmed deaths added in the week ending June 4.

The average of 15.3 new cases per day for the week ending on Friday compares with the average of 14.1 new cases per day for the week ending on June 4.

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.