[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6458104,"mediaKeyId","5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f","parentId",5823858,"title","Oconee County outlines Heritage Park upgrades and large Dawson Park gym plan; SPLOST continuation planned for 2026","audioSeconds",155,"startMs",1373000,"endMs",1528000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f&start=1373&end=1528","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f/thumbnail_1373000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6458104/Oconee-County/Georgia/Oconee-County-outlines-Heritage-Park-upgrades-and-large-Dawson-Park-gym-plan-SPLOST-continuation-planned-for-2026","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458104-a2e7b301e6f26d814772a29578dfaa70/orig.mp4?Expires=1775461208&Signature=NDVm2OUB2lcRofkqXRmAviPMuNqnNQaj7VdJc8GGeaC4IwDKfYgAwxFRlhVtzjYOZSFn7MipJmNzYK19~BytiMtv~hsAnrrleKZ4PP1T4H5KcDiwif~5Udrr19omp4ZvPquP5SY-1RGbzOaL0np5ZBgvbg7XL19II~eBvEx1bEb7WN2VJVwGrlzm1WQfGoYpdwTQ6NLGlqYBIqsB-qEjBlkhyedVQkjt2KsODdISt8uWqGQACLXD8XdVyjHMqMYIwMLd3j-xt04pKdH4EEWoFTrPsb-p2ELGzPgmyJFWPjuHQUyXsac~VUu8KBqBcv5TFq3dpBlXEsloTcpJou1Ynw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oconee County","date","2025-09-24T13:09:00.727Z","article","County officials described multiple park projects under design or procurement and told residents the county plans to ask voters to continue its Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) in May 2026.

At Heritage Park, county staff said value‑engineering is underway with planned improvements that include an arena and footing upgrades, additional water sources, fencing, trail improvements and investigation of separated bike and horse trails. Officials said additions will include parking and public restrooms and that those capital improvements will be paid from the county capital fund.

The county said the Maccone Veteran Park tennis project is SPLOST 21 funded and currently on bid; staff held a pre‑bid meeting and extended the schedule to allow time to respond to questions, with a bid close date posted for Oct. 30, county staff said.

Wendell and Betty Dawson Park is in engineering for fields, stormwater, internal roadways and a site pad for a gymnasium. County staff described a concept that would accommodate eight full basketball courts (which county staff estimated would create roughly a 100,000‑square‑foot building) and noted the gym location has shifted on the site plan to reduce the visual impact on the park’s entrance. County staff said field work would be funded through SPLOST 21 and that final decisions about the gym’s construction and funding will come to the board after cost estimates are complete.

Officials said the county is also examining operational models for the park, splitting field operations from gym operations, and intends to offset operational costs through a sports‑tourism component tied to tournaments and events.

“Right now we’re also working on the operational cost of the park… Our goal is gonna be to offset some of that cost with [a] sports tourism component to the park,” a county official said.

Members of the public supported the emphasis on sports tourism during the town hall. Dan McGee, a resident of Loch Lomond Circle, congratulated park staff on obtaining a U.S. Tennis Association grant and urged that sport‑tourism funds be spent under county oversight rather than solely by the Industrial Development Authority (IDA).

“Those tournaments are not one‑day tournaments. It’s two, two‑and‑a‑half day tournaments… If you have the hotels, you have the restaurants,” McGee said. He also urged that county staff prioritize pedestrian safety projects near schools when possible.

County officials said continuing SPLOST in May 2026 is critical to fund multiple county priorities, including paying off certain county debt, farmland‑preservation programs, fire rescue and medical equipment, historic‑structure maintenance and public safety radio system upgrades. The officials noted that sheriff’s vehicles are funded through SPLOST funding streams currently.

Details on total projected SPLOST revenue, individual project costs for the proposed continuation, and a specific campaign plan were not provided at the meeting; officials said they will compile potential project lists and pursue public engagement over the coming months.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town Hall Meeting September 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County officials outlined planned improvements at Heritage Park, engineering work at Wendell and Betty Dawson Park that could include an approximately 100,000‑square‑foot gym for eight full courts, and said the county will ask voters to continue SPLOST in May 2026.","taxTitle","Oconee County, Georgia","taxId",28542,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6458109,"Oconee County adopts FY2026 general fund budget, holds county millage at 4.184 mills",125,1249000,1374000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f&start=1249&end=1374","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f/thumbnail_1249000.jpg","/articles/6458109/Oconee-County/Georgia/Oconee-County-adopts-FY2026-general-fund-budget-holds-county-millage-at-4184-mills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458109-3cf5ad531e616479988f74e91e1f5586/orig.mp4?Expires=1775461208&Signature=Tox0q6qpfE-zgLNkwr5oSRwGRKqsBeWlnloxPx4En4RcmBVZQ7vY7mUv8CE8SgLgZweKQWHIpCWJ3Gq6rsroCYixIKNafow7dbssYBK3uN2bAgej2NkWPp~ZzolH5fGtg1RofdasotOMoLX-rnrWgzftHxzh1FWKaJiQFFjcGm2iJNCoNeZ7Cj84LSTEvegcYU~B86RnOHNdQdbiMewdQ7~EMPQgYiCaXxLaU5CAXI7hLEDxS~3TEHgD6i7BykNfQeZVf5ho5gBpdA-QcMvn-deXKERevW71kqZVpZYT-vN-K0qGfG2OgK~GUlmW7a8X~p3dnFplKI9ZNBOAAMVeGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Oconee County Board of Commissioners on June 3 adopted the FY2026 general fund budget of $45,704,250 and set the county millage rate at 4.184 mills for unincorporated areas and 5.154 mills for incorporated areas, county officials said.

The budget represents roughly a $4.9 million increase from FY2025 (about $5.0 million rounded). County staff said $3.7 million of that increase will fund the sheriff’s office, including $2.5 million directed to place school resource officers in schools; roughly $1.3 million was allocated across other constitutional officers and board functions.

County officials said total FY2026 funding across all funds is $83,700,551. The commissioners also highlighted new county-level property tax exemptions adopted for 2025: the general homestead exemption was raised from $2,000 to $5,000; homeowners 65 and older receive an assessment freeze; and homeowners 75 and older receive an additional $10,000 homestead exemption.

A county official said the state-level House Bill 581’s “floating homestead exemption” also took effect this year, which the official described as limiting increases in taxable assessed value to the rate of inflation as determined by the revenue department. Based on county staff calculations, that change contributed to an approximately $287 million increase in exemptions on the 2025 tax‑year digest, the official told attendees.

“This was also the first year of our new county level exemptions,” the county official said during the town hall. The official added the county has now recorded its fifth year of millage reduction and the fourth consecutive year of a full millage rollback.

County staff framed the budget decisions as a continued emphasis on public safety and core services while preserving the recent rollback in millage rates. The board did not release a detailed vote tally in the town‑hall remarks; the action and rate setting were announced by county staff at the meeting.

Looking ahead, county leaders said they will continue to present budget materials and project-level details to the board for implementation and to inform affected taxpayers.

","The Oconee County Board of Commissioners adopted a FY2026 general fund budget of $45,704,250 and set the county millage rate at 4.184 mills; the county also expanded several homestead exemptions and reported a large rise in taxable exemptions tied to House Bill 581.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6458099,"County lists road projects and GDOT timelines; residents press for clarity on 316 corridor closures and school crossings",55,2329000,2384000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f&start=2329&end=2384","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5823858-0b2756e8caefe92131a9b01f226da79f/thumbnail_2329000.jpg","/articles/6458099/Oconee-County/Georgia/County-lists-road-projects-and-GDOT-timelines-residents-press-for-clarity-on-316-corridor-closures-and-school-crossings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6458099-a00e6ce0e51639469b8ce128601e89f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775461208&Signature=cgKHahcJfRx6xGUEuPC7~BsEoMsttPnCRH~Fo~osDJKXEUiwE5szdtnO2GVI8UzZ~GsgqBq8~ibdtdELj3ESANqvKqGWiPHS23i9Pm3~1Sv6lKvxp3a~QcyyomEMmo5yIw-3xAY5BzSlTuqsmksObOLMW3S1NdDbyGBn9TNTldKCr03mOeonclpPhrX7iJaRKy7~SgCHVjLwIalYB7MVRgIEvOobb--qOCIa6NbNneC49zVDYJzE5AZ8iPzjRiK0x8R5VX4g5xaZBCbExcaIogZZk1Bd1R8Tn7VS7cefo24Xaj0DDYNO-3DgvTY1QO-0Vp8RR82V~tEqjgI08KDZEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County officials reviewed a range of county and Georgia Department of Transportation projects affecting Oconee County and provided estimated timelines for several large projects during the town hall.

County staff said the Snows Mill at Lane Creek roundabout is substantially complete, and that utility relocation is underway for the Newhouse Shoals at Union Church Road roundabout. Several other county projects remain in concept design or utility coordination, including Cole Spring/Snows Mill/Acuff Road, More Morris Ford at Lane Creek, and State Route 53 at Cold Springs and Klotfelter. A signal replacement at Atlanta Highway and Burson Avenue in Bogart is underway, pending final railroad right‑of‑way work, county staff said.

For joint projects with GDOT, the county official listed multiple timelines: construction has started at Jimmy Daniel Road (estimated completion 2028), other projects such as the April-to‑Bishop corridor currently show 2028 construction, and the county said some projects (for example, a Bishop bypass) do not yet have a schedule. County staff also mentioned an open house at Prince Avenue where GDOT will have materials and staff available and gave a time window (5 to 7 p.m.) for that event.

Residents asked specific questions about closures and pedestrian safety. Wanda Stikodis, representing the Oconee Area Resource Council, asked whether reports that the intersection of State Route 316 and the connector would be closed for 45 days were accurate. A county official responded that design and phasing remain under development and that no definitive closure plan was available.

“Do you have any clarification about that thing that I’ve heard?” Wanda Stikodis asked. The county official replied, “Not at this time… they’re still working on the final design and phasing plan.”

Dan McGee, a local resident, urged the county and state to prioritize pedestrian safety at the Bishops Crossing/E.R. Snell intersection, noting heavy use by middle‑school students who walk in the area.

“That intersection should be a priority,” McGee said, adding that schoolchildren and other pedestrians use the crossing frequently.

County staff emphasized that some GDOT schedules are subject to change and that right‑of‑way and utility negotiations affect timelines. Several projects mentioned by the county have multi‑year estimated completion windows, and officials encouraged residents to attend GDOT open houses for project‑level details.

","County staff reviewed multiple county and Georgia Department of Transportation projects — roundabouts, signal replacements and interchanges — and fielded citizen concerns about potential closures at the State Route 316/connector area and pedestrian safety at Bishops Crossing/E.R. Snell.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Oconee County outlines Heritage Park upgrades and large Dawson Park gym plan; SPLOST continuation planned for 2026

Oconee County adopts FY2026 general fund budget, holds county millage at 4.184 mills

County lists road projects and GDOT timelines; residents press for clarity on 316 corridor closures and school crossings