Recently, Commissioner Don Norris (never one to be bashful about spending) announced he would support relocation of the courthouse. He cited the Walton and Jackson County Courthouses as precedent. Walton folks are not happy with the moving of their courthouse from town………………

AVOC

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May 15, 2008

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Proposal to Move Oconee courthouse has surfaced publicly – Opposition Building

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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For a year or two, AVOC has reported on delays in buying additional courthouse land in Watkinsville.    Finally at the “Madison Retreat” in December 2007, the minutes revealed that the current board leadership is talking about building a new courthouse complex outside Watkinsville.   One problem is that the law requires the courthouse to be in the city limits of the County Seat.

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Recently, Commissioner Don Norris (never one to be bashful about spending) announced he would support relocation of the courthouse.   He cited the Walton and Jackson County Courthouses as precedent.    Walton folks are not happy with the moving of their courthouse from town.   You have to drive to a restaurant to eat lunch.   It is massive and expensive and is blocked from Hammond St by “out parcels” in private hands.

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Many Walton citizens are not happy with the Walton Courthouse or location

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The Jackson County Courthouse was moved to the “boondocks”.   You drive some distance from the highway and round a curve and it looks like a State Capitol!   It cost a lot of money and was very unpopular with Jackson County Citizens who threw the Commissioners out of office in the next election.

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Jackson County Courthouse is not popular with citizens

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Oconee County spent considerable funds enlarging and renovating the courthouse about 10 years ago.   Since then about 9-10 acres of land have become available for an Administrative Building and a Parking Deck.   The county has not moved to take advantage of this opportunity that occurs in a generation or two of time.   In fact, the Commissioners have allowed most access roads to parking to be closed off.  Was this an attempt to get folks to support the relocation?

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Oconee Courthouse had extensive renovation 10 years ago

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Last night Watkinsville Mayor Luken came out in opposition to the plan to move the courthouse.  He needs help in stopping this ill-advised proposal.SEE REPORTS BELOW

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At least three candidate-challengers have expressed opposition to relocating the courthouse:   John Daniell, opposing Don Norris; Sarah Bell opposing Melvin Davis and Johnny Pritchett opposing Jim Luke.   It is time for Oconee Citizens to express an opinion and vote against more taxes and more profligate spending.

5-15-08 Courthouse position of Johnny Pritchett

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Johnny Pritchett

http://www.johnnypritchett.com/

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May 15, 2008

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Moving the Courthouse

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…..Don mentioned this in his announcement as something he wanted to do with the next SPLOST.   I feel this would be a total waste of money and should go to our roads and infrastructure.

5-15-08 Watkinsville Mayor fights to keep courthouse

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The Oconee Enterprise

http://www.oconeeenterprise.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/doc482c6f80cf286422225906.txt

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May 15, 2008

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Mayor fights to keep courthouse

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By Billy Vaughn

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Watkinsville Mayor Jim Luken Wednesday night blasted a member of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners for saying the courthouse should be moved out of the city of Watkinsville.
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Luken did not name names, but was referring to statements made in April by Commissioner Don Norris who said that if re-elected, he would work to have the courthouse moved outside of the city, probably to property on the U.S. 441 bypass………….

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Finally, Norris said Oconee should follow examples set by Walton and Jackson counties. In both of those counties, courthouses were moved to large, open land tracts…………………………

5-15-08 Watkinsville Mayor Luken Opposes County plans to move courthouse

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Oconee County Georgia Politics

http://oconeedemocrat.blogspot.com/2008/05/mayor-jim-luken-comes-out-against-move.html

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May 15, 2008

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By Dan Matthews

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Mayor Jim Luken comes out against move of Oconee Courthouse, changes mind on annexation if they do

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Watkinsville is the county seat of Oconee County. That much being said, there is a movement afoot to move the Courthouse to outside of the current city limits of one round mile around the Courthouse. There are three properties for sale immediately adjacent to the Courthouse, stated Mayor Jim Luken. He is an ex-Marine and chooses his words carefully, not given to dramatic or grandiose statements. Luken did not come out and name names by saying that it was Don Norris who came out and stated what evidently Board of Commissioners chair G. Melvin Davis said in the infamous secret meeting in Madison in December of last year.
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Former chair Wendell Dawson was the first towrite about the plans to move the courthouse out of itscurrent location out of this notorious meeting which now threatens to end the political careers of at least three people. Given the economic state, and the recent upgrades and $ 84,000.00 window treatments going on even two weeks ago, the current courthouse is fine.
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Anyone, especially Norris or Davis, should be put on notice that any support of this foolish idea to move the courthouse will not only insure their imminent primary defeat, but the defeat of other people perceived to be supporting this completely superfluous expenditure. We do not need to move the Courthouse from its current location. The county could even resort to using condemnation procedures to take the adjoining property and expand the current foot print………………………….