Oconee County, as well as our Nation, is facing some tenuous economic times. The Tax Digest will not keep ballooning…………The financial downturn is very serious and will take some time to recover. We need to trim spending and slow down in incurring debt. SPLOST projects need to be examined………….. The County can no longer afford to allow Melvin Davis TO GOVERN UNCHECKED……… …………………………….. Oconee’s Charter says the Chairman is the Chief Executive Officer. However, it allows for overruling the chairman by majority vote of the Board. We do not need to change that! We just need for the MAJORITY TO ASSERT LEADERSHIP.

AVOC

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September 27, 2008

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It’s encouraging to see Oconee BOC asserting itself with Chairman Davis

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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The Oconee County 2-day work session ended after a ½ day!   Mr. Davis scheduled the meeting for the Grand Jury Room which is smaller than the Commission Chambers and does not have video taping capability.   AVOC sources say there were several citizens in attendance and that the room was warm.

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A few people were observed going “in & out” of the Commission Chambers which is equipped for video.   Chairman Davis had said the Commission Chambers was scheduled for something else.   A public Work Session of the full Board of Commissioners surely takes priority over routine use! Chairman Davis had scheduled a long agenda of presentations.   The BOC saw through his ‘smoke and mirrors’ tactics and said they did not want to sit there for that.  

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The BOC did discuss improving the involvement of commission members in County Affairs.   They, and the County Attorney, seem to realize that they can make changes without Legislation.   A problem with Local Legislation is that the Legislators want a unanimous action of the BOC.   We used to need a Grand Jury recommendation too.   It is doubtful that such support could be found for legislation at this time.

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The Athens Banner-Herald had a good report on the meeting in its September 26, 2008, edition.   It indicated that Commissioners Luke, Horton and Hale are ready to take the challenge to Melvin Davis.    The article also acknowledged other disputes and litigation in the region over the powers of the Chairman in the past.    A close check of those counties will reveal that their county charter provided specific duties and listed them.   Those counties argued over the breadth of those powers.

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Oconee’s Charter says the Chairman is the Chief Executive Officer.   However, it allows for overruling the chairman by majority vote of the Board.   We do not need to change that!   We just need for the MAJORITY TO ASSERT LEADERSHIP.

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Hopefully, there will be better scrutiny of the agenda setting, executive sessions and consent items.   All of these items allow for more secrecy and have been developed during the Davis Administrations.        9-26-01 Oconee BOC Changes Agenda Format   Jackson County recently challenged Executive Sessions at the Upper Oconee Basin Authority chaired by Melvin Davis.

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The Board needs to demand information and have free flow of information from Department Heads.   THE MEMBERS SHOULD NOT JUST GO ALONG WITH RETREATS AND SECRET MEETINGS. 1-7-08 Oconee County BOC held “retreat” – (secret meeting) in Madison on 12-7-07

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Oconee County, as well as our Nation, is facing some tenuous economic times.   The Tax Digest will not keep ballooning as it has in the last five years.   The financial downturn is very serious and will take some time to recover.   The BOC needs to trim spending and slow down incurring debt.   SPLOST projects need to be examined from the standpoint of annual maintenance & operational costs!   The County can no longer afford to allow Melvin Davis to GOVERN UNCHECKED.

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9-10-08 Housing Slump, Banks facing tough times, Oconee needs to slow spending

8-31-08 Oconee County needs to review & change policies –Zoning etc.- Not its government form

4-1-07 More Oconee Citizens calling for change in Oconee BOC makeup –growth concerns

6-27-08 “The Melvin Davis Record” - Taxing and Spending – Part 5

9-26-08 Oconee Leaders ‘discuss’ Melvin Davis’s Management style

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The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/092608/new_336928129.shtml

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September 26, 2008

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Oconee leaders discuss power struggle

Commissioners bemoan chairman's micromanagement

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By Adam Thompson

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WATKINSVILLE - Three Oconee County commissioners on Thursday vented years of frustration with commission Chairman Melvin Davis' administration, and officials took what they said is a step toward resolving their complaints.

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During their first open airing of the power struggle since it became a campaign issue this year, commissioners Margaret Hale, Chuck Horton and Jim Luke were blunt about feeling left out, sometimes citing years-old conflicts with the chairman.

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"I don't feel like I'm a part of what goes on in Oconee County government," Luke said Thursday during an extended work session…………………

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"I don't want to go through another term where I feel like I'm off the sheet of paper," Horton said, pointing to a county organization chart that shows every department head answering to Davis.

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Luke said Davis has been "herding" and, in some cases, "hoarding" power thanks to the government's enabling legislation, which makes him responsible for hiring and firing employees and running day-to-day operations.

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The legislation identifies the chairman as the county's "chief executive officer" but doesn't define what that means.

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"We've got the enabling legislation, but I don't think we've ever really said how we're going to run this government, in real terms," Luke said.

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Without referring to him by name, Luke said former commission chairman Wendell Dawson, who pushed through the government structure changes in 1998, intentionally kept the language vague.

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Hale also complained she didn't know enough about county business. She cited the county's bid last year, along with Athens-Clarke County, to attract large pharmaceutical company Solvay.

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Hale said Davis told her the company's identity was confidential but soon read the name in the newspaper.

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