Save South Oconee Group Meets To Provide Updates On Plans For SR 15 Truck Bypass Of Watkinsville

***Wants City Solution For Traffic Problem***

Leaders of Save South Oconee, in their first public meeting last week, gave an upbeat assessment of their efforts to communicate their view that the proposed routes for a truck bypass connecting SR 15 with U.S. 441 would negatively affect the south of the county.

Jason Smith, co-chair of Save South Oconee, said he and his colleagues have reached out to elected officials throughout the county and, with the exception of officials from the city of Watkinsville, those officials have been responsive.

Oconee County To Hold First Of Three Tax Rate Hearings, Reflecting Increase In Property Tax Rate For Incorporated Parts Of County

***Proposed Rate Higher Than Rollback Rate***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is scheduled on Tuesday (July 28) to hold its first public hearing on its proposed property tax rates for 2026, which will produce an increase of $788,134 in new revenue, or a gain of 4.95 percent from last year.

The proposed millage rate for the majority of county properties–those in the unincorporated parts of the county–is slightly lower than it was in 2025.

Oconee County Schools Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Shows $1.8 Million More In Revenue Than Projected

***Spending Held To Budgeted Level***

Oconee County Schools took in $1.8 million more in revenue than budgeted for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, with $1.1 million of that from higher local tax revenue.

The $1.8 million in unbudgeted revenue also included $0.7 million more in investment and interest income than was expected.

Journalists On Media Panel Call For More Collaboration And More Community Involvement

***Say Their Resources Are Limited***

In a time of diminished resources, journalists need to collaborate more and reach out to their communities as they go about their work, the journalists assembled last month for a panel to celebrate the First Amendment said.

The number of journalists coving local news has decreased, they acknowledged, making cooperation rather than competition more important.

New Intergovernmental Agreement Reverses 1992 Agreement For Joint Use By County And Schools Of Oconee County Civic Center

***Lone Citizen To Speak Raised Concerns Over Change***

On Sept. 1, the 3.6 acres on which the Oconee County Civic Center sits at 1661 Hog Mountain Road will be reincorporated into the surrounding campus of Oconee County High School, with the Oconee County Board of Education having full control over operation of the facility.

Both the Board of Education and the Oconee County Board of Commissioners approved the transfer unanimously in a joint special meeting at the Oconee County Schools Instructional Support Center on Monday (July 6).

Georgia Transportation Department Provides Update On SR 316 Interchanges With Jimmy Daniell Road And Virgil Langford Road

***Bridge Work At Both Roads Visible Underway***

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), in its update last week on construction on SR 316 in the county, said bridge construction is actively underway at the Jimmy Daniell Road interchange and crews have begun constructing mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls to support the new roadway structure.

Significant earthmoving operations and grading activities are ongoing as the new alignment takes shape, GDOT said.

Oconee County Commissioners Clear Way For Discussion And Approval Of Transfer Of Civic Center To Board Of Education

***Joint Meeting Set For July 6***

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday (June 30) cleared the way for approval on July 6 in a special meeting with the Oconee County Board of Education of transfer of ownership and operation of the Civic Center to Oconee County Schools.

In a brief discussion at the end of its agenda-setting meeting on Tuesday, Board members reviewed the details of the proposed Intergovernmental Agreement released on June 26 without raising major concerns.