It behooves all the commissioners to be more active in the budget process. It behooves ALL CITIZENS to be better informed on the budget and particularly the upcoming SPLOST Referendum on March 17. It will authorize a huge amount of tax spending on Projects that have been pursued and developed “behind the scenes”…………… PUBLIC BUSINESS SHOULD BE HANDLED IN PUBLIC!

AVOC

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February 6, 2009

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Kudos to Oconee Commissioner John Daniel for suggesting changes in budgeting process

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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Oconee Commissioner John Daniell, who recently replaced long-time Commissioner Don Norris, is already having a very positive impact on the Board of Commissioners and their budget responsibilities.Reports by Lee Becker and the Athens Banner-Herald give more details on Daniell’s request to be more involved.  

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Commissioner John Daniell wants more budget and financial information

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The other three Board members have repeatedly said they wanted more information and detail about the county finances.    They should have jumped on board with Daniell and set public meetings with Department Heads, attended by all the commissioners and open to the media and the public.

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Chairman Davis, in his acquisition of more and more power and control, stopped holding public budget meetings with Department Heads early in his administration.   I am sure Norris supported that because the meetings did take time- more than his patience could endure.   However, the budget is the main responsibility of the Board of Commissioners and they are paid well for their part-time jobs.

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SPLOST PROJECTS

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With Becker’s research and reporting, Oconee Citizens are getting much more detail about the impending SPLOST vote next month.   Read his comments, especially the emphasis on certain projects and particularly what may be coming on the courthouse.   It is apparent that Chairman Davis has been hoarding money for a “New Courthouse”.   We can expect that controversial issue to rear its head after the SPLOST votes.   With four years to go- probably last term- Davis will have “carte blanch” to proceed with his secret projects.

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It behooves all the commissioners to be more active in the budget process.  It behooves ALL CITIZENS to be better informed on the budget and particularly the upcoming SPLOST Referendum on March 17.   It will authorize a huge amount of tax spending on Projects that have been pursued and developed “behind the scenes”.

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CITIZEN INTEREST

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Citizens know that we are in a RECESSION even if some County Officials do not seem to be aware of it.   Citizens need to question and press for more public information.   Hopefully, we can have many more voters participating in the March 17 Referendum, rather than leaving it to Special Interests and their pet projects.   CITIZENS should also attend some budget ‘hearings’.   I know they can be boring and time consuming but that is where the ‘decisions’ are made.

The Athens Banner-Herald

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/020509/new_384786634.shtml

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February 5, 2009

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Oconee budget process takes all hands

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By Adam Thompson

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WATKINSVILLE - Oconee County's part-time commissioners this year will wade deeper than ever into the government's budgeting waters.

The four commissioners, for the first time in full-time Chairman Melvin Davis' tenure, will sit in on early budget meetings in the coming months as officials begin work on a spending plan for the 2010 fiscal year.

Citing a gloomy economic forecast, newly seated Commissioner John Daniell asked for a bigger role in the budgeting process. At a Tuesday meeting, his colleagues unanimously agreed.

"I think our budget situation's going to be quite a challenge this coming budget, so I think we need all hands on deck," Daniell said Tuesday night.......................

Oconee County Observations

http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/

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Lee Becker Blog on 2-3-09

http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2009/02/oconee-commissioners-want-more-budget.html

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Smiling is a Nice Thing

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Commissioner John Daniell, who just joined the Board last month, initially suggested a more formal procedure in which the commission would create committees made up of at least two commission members to help develop the budget.
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He made that request after being told at the Jan. 27 BOC meeting by Board Chairman Melvin Davis that the Board does not have a committee that deals with finances. "Mr. Benko, Mr. Theriault and myself" handle that, Davis said. Theriault is the county administrative officer.
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Control over county affairs has been an ongoing issue with the Board. Davis chairs the commission but he also is the full-time administrator of the county. The other four commissioners serve in part-time positions.
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Commissioner Chuck Horton said he favored more involvement of the commissioners in the budget, but he said he was not interested in getting involved in the day-to-day running of the county.
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Chairman Davis only smiled at the comment.

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Lee Becker Blog   2-4-09

Excerpts below- click on site for detail….

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SPLOST Language Shows Oconee County Wish List

Two Front Teeth Not Included

http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2009/02/splost-language-shows-oconee-county.html

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Lee Becker

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The county currently has a SPLOST in place, due to expire in November of 2009. The average collected for fiscal years 2006, 2007 and 2008 was $ 5.4 million, and the current fiscal year, 2009, is likely to be below that average.

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So far, no one has done much of anything to encourage voting on March 17. In November, the county had 21,579 registered voters, and 79.7 percent of them voted in that election.

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Benko's report shows that the county has approved projects that will largely use up money in the 2003 SPLOST dedicated to recreation and culture, the emergency operation center and the jail.

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The county as of the end of December of 2008 had about $
million left to allocate for water and sewage projects, about $ 0.9 million left to allocate for roads and about $ 0.4 million left to allocate for the fire department.
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And the county still has not allocated $ 4.2 million of the original $ 4.6 million set aside for county facilities. Talk about what to do with the courthouse has been behind the scenes so far, but funds from SPLOST are supposed to be allocated before it expires.
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The fiscal year 2009 SPLOST budget, which Benko also released to the BOC on Jan. 26, shows only $ 185,474 allocated for county facilities, including $ 75,000 for a new roof for the library.
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It is clear the county is going to be doing a lot of spending for county facilities from the current SPLOST once voters make their decision on the next one on March 17.

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2-6-09 Oconee Chair still likes NON-Public Meetings – Courthouse talk no less!

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Chairman Melvin Davis likes to “keep things close to his vest”

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The Athens Banner-Herald

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February 6, 2009

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Quietly, Oconee panel mulls courthouse options

Moving or expanding facility on the table

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By Adam Thompson 

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Oconee County officials have been planning behind the scenes whether to expand or move the county courthouse and soon may commission a new study on the issue.

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An ad hoc committee of judges and government officials met in December at the request of county Chairman Melvin Davis to talk about the cramped building, home to all the county's courts and a range of government offices.

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Based on the committee's recommendations, the county government soon may solicit bids from private firms to study space options, Davis said Thursday.

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If commissioners agree to pay for it, the study would be the second one in the past five years.

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A draft request for proposals is sitting on Davis' desk, he said, but he hasn't discussed it with all the other commissioners. He would not say whether commissioners would vote before the county invites companies to apply.

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"Normally, I would forward that to the board, they would take a look at it (and) if we need to put it on the agenda for approval, that's what we would do," Davis said.

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The Dec. 17 committee meeting wasn't advertised to the public.

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According to the findings, county offices alone in 20 years will need a building roughly the size of the current 45,000-square-foot courthouse.

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Court services will need 62,000 square feet in 20 years, according to the 2005 study, by Bramlett Associates Architecture…………………..

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AVOC NOTE:These projections are awfully ambitious.   Our “PVC Farms” will not need more Courtrooms!    These “secret studies” have resulted in enough mistakes for Oconee County!

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PUBLIC BUSINESS SHOULD BE HANDLED IN PUBLIC!