Commission Moves Forward With Tax Referendum, Bond Sales

Oconee County Commissioners took another step on Tuesday to put a referendum for a new 1 percent Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot in November.

Commissioners tentatively decided to ask the Board of Elections and Registration at its regular meeting next week to vote to officially respond to the request from the commissioners to put the referendum for the new sales tax on the Nov. 2 ballot.

The Board of Elections and Registration, meeting in a called session on Thursday, also issued a call for a special election on that date to fill the position of mayor in the Town of North High Shoals.

Commissioners on Tuesday also moved forward with plans for issuance of $12.5 million in general obligation bonds for construction of the new administrative building on U.S. 441 and North Main Street on the north side of Watkinsville.

The county will be taking advantage of a new bond rating upgrade from Aa2 to Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service.

For more on this story, please go to Oconee County Observations.