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Oconee County Council advances budgets, approves easement conveyance and multiple transfers; $154,000 ballistics purchase approved after executive session
Summary
Council approved third reading of Ordinance 2026-10 (easement to Blue Ridge Electric), advanced multiple budget ordinances on first reading, and authorized several budget transfers including $70,000 for Walhalla Fire. After executive session, council directed staff to negotiate a property sale and approved up to $154,000 for ballistics equipment.
Oconee County Council on May 5 approved a package of routine and targeted actions, including the third-and-final reading adoption of an easement conveyance, multiple first-reading budget ordinances, and several interdepartmental budget transfers.
On a unanimous 5–0 vote, Council adopted Ordinance 2026-10 on third and final reading, authorizing the conveyance of easement rights to Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative on county-owned property in Seneca. Council also approved first-reading, title-only introductions of the county budget for fiscal year 2026–27 (Ordinance 2026-01), the School District budget (Ordinance 2026-02), Keowee Fire Tax District budget (Ordinance 2026-03), and other ordinance items including a lease with Oconee History Museum (Ordinance 2026-13) and a renaming of a zoning district (Ordinance 2026-17).
Council approved several budget transfers to address shortfalls and match requirements. Notable transfers approved unanimously: • $13,900 transferred from Assessor fringe accounts to cover Probate Court reductions. • $15,000 transferred from Assessor salary lines to cover costs tied to a May jury summons of roughly 700 jurors. • $70,000 transferred from surplus fringe accounts (Roads & Bridges and Solicitor) to provide a grant match for the City of Walhalla Fire Department; council noted this funding had been previously directed but was omitted from the budget. • $66,320 transferred from unused fringe accounts (Solicitor, Clerk of Court, Solid Waste) to cover RCI professional services invoices for Building Codes through June 2026.
Chairman Matthew Durham and Chief Casey Bowling of the City of Seneca also discussed Ordinance 2026-16, an intergovernmental agreement to consolidate 911/dispatch services with the city; council introduced the ordinance on first reading in title only and indicated the consolidation is expected to improve service quality.
Council entered executive session to discuss permitted matters including economic development (Project Hawk), contractual and personnel matters in Emergency Services, and law enforcement equipment. Upon return, Council directed the County Administrator to negotiate the sale of a county-owned property and approved the purchase of ballistics equipment not to exceed $154,000, with the County Administrator authorized to execute the purchase and change orders. Both post-executive-session actions were approved 5–0.
The meeting also included a presentation from the Appalachian Council of Governments and several proclamations honoring the Walhalla High School girls’ basketball team and observances such as National Day of Prayer and Peace Officers’ Memorial Day. Council adjourned at 9:58 p.m.
