Oconee County, GA Politics

Watkinsville City Council will remain the same with the resounding re-elections of City Council members Chuck Garrett and Connie Massey Tuesday evening at the new Oconee County Administration Building result room, appropriately named "The Watkinsville Room." Incumbent Massey was re-elected with 309 votes to three-time challenger Carolyn A. Maultsby's 121 votes, or more than a two-to-one margin. Incumbent Garrett was also re-elected by a slightly lower margin, garnered 298 votes or two-time challeger Rebecca Billings' 142 votes. Billings ran against Mayor Brian Brodrick two years ago in 2021, and this time she ran for the city council instead. Brodrick was unopposed, and apparently Watkinsville 16 voters attempted to write-in an unqualified candidate. He earned 351 votes.

The City of Bogart will conduct a general election on Tuesday, November, 3, 2015 during the hours of 7:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The election will be held at the Bogart Community Center. The Mayor and two City Council seats are eligible for re-election to serve a four year term to commence on January 1, 2016 and will expire on December 31, 2020. Qualifying for City Council are Tl Turman, Linda Turman, John Larkin and David Nunn. Mayor Terri Glenn is running unopposed. Citizens have until October 9, 2015 to Qualify to Vote.

Fred sent this introduction of Jason Wisniewski, who is running for Post 1 on the North High Shoals city council next month. He earns my endorsement just for this photo below. Subject: TONHS msg from Jason Wisniewski running for Town Council Hello, I'm Jason Wisniewski.  I am 32 years old and was born and raised in the small   Western Pennsylvania town   of   Mundy 's Corner.  I graduated from   Indiana University of Pennsylvania   in December 2000 with a BS in Biology.  In 1999 I began working as a seasonal biologist aide for the   Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission,   until September 2001 when my term expired.  In November 2001, I moved to   Cookeville ,   Tennessee   to attend graduate school at   Tennessee   Technological University   where I earned my MS in Biology.  After completing my degree in May 2004, I accepted the position of State Mussel Biologist with the   Georgia Departm...

The two candidates for the Post 1 position of the Town of North High Shoals council are Department of Natural Resources mussel biologist Jason Wisniewski and Scott Wilson (who ran and lost before to David Lawrence for Post 3 of the NHS town council in the last election cycle. Kraeling did not have anyone qualify to run against her for Mayor of North High Shoals. She will be taking over from interim Mayor Violet Dawe.

The post 1 slot on the North High Shoals city council remains uncluttered with (any) candidates less than a half dozen hours before the qualifying period ends. This was the slot held by Eddie Cape for a number of terms. Qualifying for the city council and mayoral slots ends at noon Wednesday for North High Shoals.

HULL Mayor Paul Elkins (I) / unopposed City Council Paul Cook (I) / 6 Paige Phillips / 23 (works in Watkinsville Post Office) OCONEE COUNTY BOGART City Council Four-year term (top two vote-getters win) Pam McNair / 38 Michael Ward / 70 John Larkin / 59 Weymand Steed / 40 Two-year unexpired term T.L. Turman / unopposed NORTH HIGH SHOALS City Council Post 3 David Lawrence / 110 Scott Wilson / 78 Post 4 Stephen Arnold / 98 Sarah Donegan / 88 Post 5 Violet Dawe (I) / unopposed

The always contentious municipal election in North High Shoals continued the recent trend of repudiating the do-nothing tenure of Mayor Jeff Thomas with narrow victories for political newcomers Steve Arnold and David Lawrence Tuesday in the quaint picturesque town at the juncture of Walton, Morgan and Oconee Counties.  Lawrence defeated Scott Wilson and Arnold edged Donegan in the first races for all of the participants. Accusations flew of conflicts of interest, sweetheart sidewalk placement, illegal home businesses, and assorted mischief and malfeasance from both sides. These results sent from outgoing council member Fred Johnson Post 3: David Lawrence 110 & Scott Wilson 77 Post 4: Steve Arnold 98 & Sarah Donegan 88 Thanks for everyone for voting. The results would seem to solidify and recertify the reform bloc started most recently by council members Steve Holzman and Violet Dawe. They have redone the charter, hired local attorneys and clerks, hosted forums, a...

If you are a resident of the burgeoning border cities of North High Shoals or Bogart, Georgia here in Oconee County (with a tiny slice of eligible voters in Clarke County for Bogart), please go to the polls and cast your votes in the municipal elections for city council members in a couple of posts in both towns. Here are the eligible candidates in a list purloined from the Athens Banner-Herald. I believe both polls are open until 7 pm OCONEE COUNTY ► BOGART • City Council Four-year term Pam McNair Michael Ward Four-year term John Larkin Weymand Steed Two-year unexpired term T.L. Turman ► NORTH HIGH SHOALS • City Council Post 3 David Lawrence Scott Wilson Post 4 Stephen Arnold Sarah Donegan Post 5 Violet Dawe (I)

On the eve of municipal elections in North High Shoals, once again this tiny town (where 13 votes can win or lose an election) proves to be the center of political intrigue and discontent for Oconee County 2009. The matter of an absentee mayor has festered slowly over the last several year period, as first the silent brother lost his council seat.then the Mayor himself repeatedly threatened and promised to resign, only to constantly change the scenario in which he would consider stepping down. Meanwhile he continues to avoid attending meetings quite successfully blocking a quorum to establish anything. Now would-be outgoing Mayor Jeff Thomas broke his own code of silence to post in the blog of city council member Steve Holzman, which is not anything even attempting to masquerade as official. The following does not constitute an official communication of the Town of North High Shoals for the Town of North High Shoals or anyone acting in the interest of North High Shoals, or does it?...

In a post I totally stole from Jay Hanley's article in the Oconee Enterprise, early voting started for the municipal elections in North High Shoals and Bogart. The following sentences were lifted directly from his article, and I hope I have not violated the ethics of the interwebs. I give all credit and attribution to Jay, Maridee, Miss Vinnie, and the Oconee Enterprise newspaper Voters are deciding two contested council posts: Post 3, which is a vacant seat and Post 4, which is held by Fred Johnson, who is not running for re-election. Candidates for the Post 3 seat are David Lawrence and Scott A. Wilson. Post 4 candidates include Stephen J. Arnold and Sarah G. Donegan. The top two vote-getters among four candidates: John Larkin, Pam McNair, Weyman Steed and incumbent Michael Ward will take the seats, which have a term of four years.  

The always entertaining North High Shoals city council electoral process became all the more interesting with longtime incumbent Violet Dawe drawing opposition for her many term held post. New father Joseph Latner of Plantation Road will be running against Violet for her seat. There is also an open seat, vacated by Fred Johnson, where newcomers Sarah Donegan will be running against Stephen Arnold. Post 3 (currently vacant) will feature David Lawrence vs Scott Wilson Post 4 (currently held by Fred Johnson) will feature Stephen Arnold vs Sarah Donegan and Post 5 will have the incumbent Violet Dawe vs Joseph Latner (borrowed from Steve Holzman's blog ) "I think it is great that we have young people willing to run," said Dawe. "For the longest time we never had any candidates." She especially enjoyed her most recent term on the council, saying it was her favorite. "We got a lot done with the two other council members (Fred Johnson and Steve Holzm...

With the qualifying period now half over, no challengers have emerged (so far) for presumed Mayor Joe Walter, City Council member Brian Brodrick and newly appointed member (and Christian Lake subdivision resident) Henry Norman (who has yet to officially attend a meeting of the Watkinsville city council as a member but will do so in less than a fortnight Wednesday, September 14.) The special qualifying period for Walter's seat he gave up to become Mayor will be during the last week of September, according to City Clerk Julie Sanders. "Qualifying will be the end of September. An advertisement will be in the paper - probably next Thursday announcing qualifying," according to Julie.

Even though the qualifying period for municipal elections in Watkinsville does not start until tomorrow, the electoral gears are already grinding toward filling vacant slots. Now some of you may need a score card to keep up, but I will try to keep this as simple as possible. 1. City council member John Walsh, Jr. resigned at the end of the August meeting because he is moving outside of the city limits of Watkinsville. The remaining members of the council then appointed Henry Norman, who lives in the Christian Lake subdivision, to fill the end of his term (less than six months). 2. Norman announced that he will seek election to the slot he was appointed to in August in the November municipal election. 3. Mayor Jim Luken of Watkinsville announced he will not seek re-election to a fourth term as Mayor of Watkinsville. He will instead support the candidacy of city council member Joe Walter to the Mayoral slot. 4. Council member Brian Brodrick announced he will seek another term on the cit...

Perhaps stinging from the last time around when he announced he was not seeking re-election and then more or less had to when no one else qualified, Mayor Jim Luken of Watkinsville may or may not seek another term for the helm of the municipal government of the County seat. When asked in a recent email as to whether he was seeking another term, the current Mayor was very coy in his reply:. "I will announce my future direction very soon first to the City Council and then send you an answer," wrote Luken after allowing that the widening of Wilson Road may indeed be included in the SPLOST list. Qualifying commences this time next week. This blog writer would bet on another Luken term right now.

Go vote today if you live in Oconee County for the SPLOST referendum (essentially another penny on every dollar of purchases in Oconee to help our towns and projects through the unincorporated areas as well) or especially if you are a resident of the municipality of Bogart (which stretches into a tiny portion of Clarke as well) where there is a race between two candidates to replace Mayor Terri Glenn. Those candidates are Janet Jones and Michael Ward and I salute them both for having the nerve to serve as an elected official, a thankless task if there every was one. Just ask David Weeks . Thanks to Adam Thompson for writing the story in today's paper to remind me of this important municipal election in Bogart . Adam was treated poorly twice by a copy editor demon on Saint Patrick's Day. Must be that red hair. Happy St. Patrick Day, by the way.

I was about the 20th person to vote yesterday at the Watkinsville Community Center in the lone contested municipal election in the race between incumbent local car wash co-owner and former police officer/code enforcement officer Joe Walter and challenger Luke Bishop. Once again I voted for Joe Walter without hesitation, and I would suggest Mr. Bishop best set his sights on the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners in his next attempt at political office, if he is so moved. Current city council members Samantha Purcell and Mike Link are also on the ballot unopposed. You can get in and out of there in about five minutes top. This is the second time I had to advance vote in two different places in one election (in separate races obviously) but it went smoothly and quickly and I give high marks to the wonderful people at the Watkinsville City Hall and Community Center for effectively making it easier to vote in advance of the November 4th general election.

Advance and Absentee voting for the City of Watkinsville will be held at Watkinsville City Hall between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday starting Tuesday, October 14, 2008 through Friday, October 31, 2008. Voting for the City of Watkinsville on Election Day (November 4, 2008) will be held at the Watkinsivlle Community Center for Watkinsville West voters and held at the Oconee County Government Annex building for Watkinsville East voters. Voting for the City Election is held separately from the County/National Election. If you have any questions regarding the City of Watkinsville election, please contact Julie Sanders @ 706-769-5161. Thank you.

If you are one of those people like me who likes to vote in advance and as early as possible, you should know one thing: the municipal election for the Watkinsville City Council race between Joe Walter and Luke Bishop is not on the ballot yet at the either the advance voting spots in Oconee County (next to the Courthouse or at the Civic Center). In a few more days this municipal election will be included on the ballot and those who voted earlier may return to do so. Joe Walter is still having a gathering 5 pm Sunday at the Yarn Shop on Barnett Shoals Road across the street from LAD Trucking.

Next Sunday at 5 pm Watkinsville City Council member Joe Walter will be hosting an informal gathering of supporters and curious residents of the municipality seeking information about his contested re-election bid against Luke Bishop at the Yarn Shop on Barnett Shoals Road across from the industrial areas of LAD Truck Line and Southwire in the wonderfully restored barn built back by Quinton Phillips and his wife Cindy Jerrell. Joe brought by one of his second generation yard signs Saturday to tell me about it. I think I saw Luke and gave him one of those all-knowing nods as a traversed the Main Street - Simonton Bridge/Whitehall Road gauntlet toward my abode in the rare non soccer Saturday.

City Council member Tom Peavey defeated incumbent Mayor Jan Thurmond in Bogart 70 votes to 44 to take over the municipal reins of Bogart, Georgia Tuesday evening. Ralph Sheridan and Tonya Wagner also won seats on the city council with 61 and 84 votes respectively. Jack Irvin III, John Larken and Tom Leach were the losers of the race for the two city council seats with 4o votes for Irvin, 31 for Larken and 18 votes for Leach. Sheridan and Wagner are replacing Woody Bruce and Gary Gunter, who decided not to seek re-election. Bogart council meeting are always entertaining with a whole lot more acrimony and constant controversy that your average small town political gatherings. Thurmond, a realtor, rubbed some Bogart residents the wrong way with the appointment of her son Bret as the City Engineer. The council revoked this appointment some months later. She often ruled the meetings somewhat harshly, cutting off citizen comments during the "on the record" part of the meetings. P...