Oconee’s new budget survives second reading

Oconee County Council is one vote away from nailing down a new spending plan to cover a new year of county government, but critics say the county fathers should take a deeper dive into the numbers, to see if there are savings to be realized.  And some audience members during last night’s impassioned public comment session believe savings should be returned to taxpayers. On a 3-2 vote, the council approved the new budget on second reading.  In favor were Cain, Davis, and Elliott; opposed, Durham and Hart. A third and final reading is set for June 22.  Last night, however, the council heard calls to hold another budget workshop for the purpose of a line-by-line examination of the proposed expenditures in 2021-22.  First-term Councilman Matthew Durham endorsed that call. But county attorney David Root advised council that, under the timeline, a new budget should be in place by July 1 and any changes that might come would require seven days between the changes and the final budget vote.  Questions were raised about 3% employee pay raises, four additional personnel for fire and emergency services, and higher solid waste fees were bandied about during public comment and last night’s official public hearing on the spending plans.  Oakway resident Tony Adams complained about a mentality of “spend, spend, spend.”