Oconee Commission Appoints Executive Director Of State Green Industry Association To Hard Labor Creek Management Board

Oconee County Commissioner Jim Luke lost his bid Tuesday night to keep fellow commissioners William “Bubber” Wilkes and Mark Saxon from removing former commissioner Chuck Horton from the Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Management Board.

In a 2-1 vote, Wilkes and Saxon, over Luke’s objection, reappointed John Caudill as one of two citizen alternates on the Management Board but replaced Horton with Chris Butts, executive director of the Georgia Green Industry Association.

Luke is vice chairman of the Management Board and has contributed financially to Horton’s campaign for election to the Board of Commissioners in a special election that is underway.

At the Nov. 1 Commission meeting, Saxon and Wilkes had agreed with Luke to postpone a decision on the Management Board appointment until after the Nov 8 election, but Saxon and Wilkes decided on Tuesday to go forward with the appointments even though the Commission race went into a runoff.

Early voting for the runoff, now in its fourth day, has been light, with final voting tomorrow and on election day itself on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

For more on the story, including details about early voting turnout, go to Oconee County Observations.