Oconee County, GA Politics

Congratulations to new city council member Connie "Clipboard" Massey, who may be the only person who has attended more Watkinsville city council meetings than me. She defeated my friend Nicole "Nickey" Turner Brooks, daughter of Peggy Holcomb and sister of  Sherry Seila-Turner by a 224 to 158 margin. This was Nickey's first attempt at running for office, but I hope it will not be her last. Being a single parent and running for office and holding a job at the same time is never easy, especially when you work overnight at the county jail. Congratulations to both candidates on a well run race, but quite frankly, I have no idea where either candidate stands on any substantive issue in Watkinsville or Oconee County. Nor do I know how new unopposed candidate Mike Huff is going to vote. I thank God for the level heads, hearts, and minds of Toby Smith and Brian Brodrick, both of whom have always done their absolute best for the City of Watkinsville, and have always an...

The Watkinsville City Council meeting Wednesday was anything but routine,  starting with the 4H Club requested and administered Pledges of Allegiance from a young Guthrie gal, to Andy Griner showing his questionable municipal political ploys from the back row of the audience, to the Police Chief Lee O'Dillon revealing a daytime break-in next subdivision over from me. Oh and by the way, Mayor Jim Luken pretty much threw down the gauntlet on what is and is not going to happen with the future of Oconee County judicial proceedings not necessarily where they are held presently. Future judicial chambers should be as close as possible to the jail with an eye toward security when designed to prevent any Brian Nichols-type attacks as prisoners might be led from courthouse to jail cell and vice-versa. This will require a Herculean effort from a visionary leader sadly lacking on the State Level. "The Courthouse is the heartbeat of Watkinsville," said Luken. "The problem i...

I wrote the following questionnaire to probable new Watkinsville City Council (barring an unforeseen write-in candidacy) member Toby Smith to try and get some feeling from where he is coming from. To his credit, he responded quickly on an otherwise busy Thursday afternoon. My memory is somewhat sweaty and cloudy of Toby being a steady (if unspectacular) lanky basketball player from the Herman C. Michael hoops days of 1989 - 94, but I did mute a certain apprehension based on the fact that I had never seen him at any Watkinsville City Council meetings before. I have not attended every Watkinsville City Council meeting in the last five years, but I would reckon I have witnessed about 70% of them in the last half decade. There is not a true numbered correlation with the answers to the questions, but wanted to leave the numeration on to see how Toby received them. 1. Do you intend to try to reverse any of the actions of the recent council's decision in regards to beer and wine? ...