Oconee County, GA Politics

  August 14, 2020 Watkinsville Residents, Property Owners and Business Owners: We are writing to you today as fellow citizens. For the past 20 years, city councils and mayors have listened to what Watkinsville residents want and delivered it with minimal drama and maximum efficiency: a safe community with a top notch police force; a healthy downtown with unique shopping and a variety of restaurants; a thriving arts community; pedestrian connectivity and improvements; new and improved greenspaces and parks; a welcoming small town feel; preservation of city funded garbage and leaf and limb pick up; improvements to traffic and more.  We are proud that Watkinsville is welcoming to all and has something for everyone. Last month many of you received a letter from Mayor Bob Smith that accuses the council of being uncooperative, of taking illegal actions, and of wastefully taking money from the taxpayers.  This letter contained significant inaccuracies about your community and we...

Oconee County Observations: Voters In Five Of Oconee County’s 12 Precincts Wil... : ***Heavy Turnout Is Expected*** Voters in five of Oconee County’s 12 precincts will be voting in a different location on Nov. 3 than in th...

Oconee County Observations: Participants At Oconee County Courthouse Vigil Rec... : ***Also Attend To Grave Of One Of The Victims*** About 100 people turned out on the front lawn of the Oconee County Courthouse in Watkinsv...

Mayor Smith needs to learn the policies, procedures and precedents of the fiscal history of the City of Watkinsville before he tries to "veto" something he cannot do, whether it is past the 10 day window to do so, or on a budget resolution which does not give standing to his attempted rejection. Oconee County Observations: Watkinsville Mayor Attempts To Veto Budget, Propos... : ***Behavior At Odds With City Charter*** Watkinsville Mayor Bob Smith, on June 30, the final day of the last Fiscal Year, attempted to vet...

Oconee County Observations: Watkinsville Council Approves Large Multi-Use Wire... : ***Zoning, Annexation, Wastewater Allocation Included*** Watkinsville Mayor and Council last week, in three separate actions, moved the Wi...

Oconee County Observations: COVID-19 Has Altered Already Unusual Political Cam... : ***Campaigns Become Virtual*** The outbreak of COVID-19 in Georgia and Oconee County has added another dimension to an already complex ele...

Guess what John Daniell, Brian Kemp and Donald Trump, your lack of leadership has made all of us more likely to contract Coronavirus. Time to step up to the plate and order sheltering in place across the board. Your responses are currently inadequate to protect your populace at large. People will continue to die in Georgia in large numbers because of the lack of the difficult decisions made. You can still change. Oconee County Observations: Oconee County Now Has 3 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, ... : ***Commission Chair Said Considering Citizen Input*** Oconee County added two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 between the release of the G...

Oconee County Observations: Last Week’s Retreat And Called Meeting Of Watkinsv... : ***No Support On Council For Mayor’s New City Charter*** After an eight-hour retreat of the Watkinsville Mayor and Council on Monday of la...

Oconee County Observations: Last Week’s Retreat And Called Meeting Of Watkinsv... : ***No Support On Council For Mayor’s New City Charter*** After an eight-hour retreat of the Watkinsville Mayor and Council on Monday of la...

Oconee County Observations: Last Week’s Retreat And Called Meeting Of Watkinsv... : ***No Support On Council For Mayor’s New City Charter*** After an eight-hour retreat of the Watkinsville Mayor and Council on Monday of la...

Oconee County Observations: Four More Candidates Qualify For Oconee County Off... : ***More Democratic Than Republican Ballots Cast In Presidential Primary*** Four more candidates qualified for Oconee County offices Wednes...

Oconee County Observations: Three Democrats Qualify For Oconee County Offices ... : ***Commission Chair And School Board Posts*** Democrats qualified for three Oconee County offices on Friday, setting up competitive races ...

Oconee County Observations: Three Democrats Qualify For Oconee County Offices ... : ***Commission Chair And School Board Posts*** Democrats qualified for three Oconee County offices on Friday, setting up competitive races ...

Oconee County Observations: Oconee County Gun Coalition Meeting Inserts Gun Ri... : ***Commission And Sheriff Race Targeted*** Oconee County’s approach to guns became solidly embedded last Saturday in the upcoming election...

Oconee County Observations: Election Forum In Watkinsville Drew Large Turnout ... : ***Citizen Questions Were Wide Ranging*** More than 100 people turned out on Thursday night for an election forum in Watkinville that feat...

Oconee County Observations: Defeated Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Stacey... : ***Watkinsville Mayoral Candidate Makes Partisan Appeal*** Democrat Stacey Abrams, who ran unsuccessfully for governor a year ago, is watc...

Oconee County Observations: Turnout In First Week Of Early Voting In Watkinsvi... : ***New Voting Machines Demonstrated*** In the first week of Absentee In Person, or early, voting, only 121 of Watkinsville’s 2,209 registe...

Oconee County Observations: New Oconee County Superior Court Judge Told Local ... : ***Raised Concerns About Budget Cuts*** Lisa Lott, Superior Court judge for the Western Judicial Circuit, told a gathering of Oconee Count...

The Trump/Kemp economic recession reaches Watkinsville businesses Keeping shoppers happy | Business | The Journal Gazette : NEW YORK – The weakening economy has made Kim Hawkins' bridal customers hesitant about splurging, even for their big day. “They're gettin ...