Watkinsville Candidates Want Sidwalks And Bike Paths

The seven persons seeking the three seats on the Watkinsville City Council agreed at the candidate forum earlier this month that the city needs more sidewalks, more bikeways, and more interconnectivity of those pathways.

All agreed that the big challenge is how to pay for these improvements to the city’s infrastructure.

Scott Brannon, a candidate for Post 3, Mike Link, a candidate for Post 4, and Bill Mayberry, a candidate for Post 5, focused more on the financial constraints on the city and the costs of adding new sidewalks and bikeways in their comments

Incumbents Marci Campbell (Post 3), Christine Tucker (Post 4), and Dan Matthews (Post 5), along with Post 5 candidate Lee Morgan, noted more the value of these improvements for the community.

The forum, held in the Library in Watkinsville, was a project of the Oconee County Cycling Organization, which was clear in stating its goal of promoting alternatives to motorized transportation.

In the end, the candidates set themselves apart most in their closing comments, which showed differences in style and personality.

Early voting for the Nov. 6 election continues Monday through Friday of this week. At of the end of the day on Saturday, 7,780 (28.3 percent) of Oconee County’s 27,530 active, registered voters had cast a ballot.

For more on this story, with a video of the forum, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Moderator Tony Glenn.