FY26 Budget General Fund Revenues

Budget as originally adopted July 1, 2025

FY26 Budget General Fund Expenditures

Budget as originally adopted July 1, 2025

Planning & Code Enforcement

Recognized for Successful Implementation of Comprehensive Plan

Planning & Code Enforcement earned a PlanFirst Community designation for the third time from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). DCA recognized Oconee County for successful Comprehensive Plan implementation and an ongoing commitment to outstanding community planning and development with a focus on public involvement. Oconee County is one of only 14 communities in the state to receive this distinction in the 2026-2028 cycle. Benefits of the PlanFirst designation include interest rate reduction on loans from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) and Economic Development loans from DCA.

View the complete Comprehensive Plan.

Department Stats

Public Works

Building Smart Infrastructure

The Public Works Department team worked diligently to improve road infrastructure, enhance traffic flow and safety with new roundabouts, and expand walking and biking opportunities with a multi-use path along Hog Mountain Road. Public Works also coordinates with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to complete projects on state highways.

Completed Projects     

• Issued 172 utility permits for work in the County right-of-way
• Resurfaced 32.58 miles of roads
• Crack-sealed 10.57 miles of roads
• Re-striped 17.36 miles of roads
• Completed roundabout at Snows Mill Road and Lane Creek Road
• Opened multi-use trail along Hog Mountain Road
• In partnership with Georgia Department of Transportation, opened the roundabout at SR 53 and Snows Mill Road/Rocky Branch Road to traffic
• SR 53/Experiment Station Road widening completed by GDOT
• Clotfelter Road bridge replacement completed by GDOT
• Completed the Millers Lake Road culvert replacement

Parks & Recreation

Award-winning Department

The mission of Oconee County Parks and Recreation is to create impactful recreational experiences that promote wellness and strengthen community connections. We collaborate with community partners to expand opportunities, responsibly grow and coordinate programs, while maintaining safe, welcoming, and high-quality facilities for all residents.

Park Projects

• Improved park tree canopy with 17 native trees planted between OVP and HCM
• Continued progress on construction documents for Dawson Park, Oconee Veterans Parks tennis and Heritage Park improvements
• Oconee Veterans Park exterior signage refurbished and building painting completed
• Oconee Veterans Park added scoreboards to Fields 5-7
• Herman C. Michael Brown Building plaza and restrooms renovated
• Herman C. Michael replaced all dugout roofing and remaining 9 Disc Golf tee pads with concrete pads
• Herman C. Michael replaced gymnasium LED lights and gym scoreboards
• Bogart Sports Complex replaced scoreboards on Fields 5-6, repaired field fencing and completed exterior painting
• Heritage Park horse bridges and emergency access trails repaired
• New programs: Lil’ Kickers Soccer and Pioneer Camp

Georgia Recreation & Parks Association Awards

• GRPA State Agency of the Year – Oconee County (population 40,001 - 80,000)
• District 7 Agency of the Year – Oconee County (population 30,001-80,000)
• GRPA State Volunteer of the Year – Wesley Scott
• District 7 Volunteer of the Year – Wesley Scott
• District 7 Student of the Year – Clay Dunagan
• District 7 Programmer of the Year – Payton Massey
• District 7 Jeff Pruitt Inspiration Award – Lisa Davol

Parks & Rec by the Numbers

• 19,728 program and user group participants
• 24,072 volunteer hours given
• 43,535 open gym/fitness center check-ins
• 778 park reservations
• 629 park acres managed
• 41 athletic fields/courts maintained

Special Events

• Touch a Truck
• Trick or Treat Trail

Partnerships

• Oconee Parks Foundation added a park swing in memory of Cindy Hardigree at Oconee Veterans Park oak trees
• Oconee Rotary Car Show held at Oconee Veterans Park
• Held 12 Volunteer Workdays at Heritage Park for Invasive Species Removal
• Hosted Bat Festival at Heritage Park with Oconee County Clean & Beautiful and UGA Extension
• Hosted the Little League District Tournament
• Held the Warrior/Titan Classic High School Softball Tournament at Oconee Veterans Park
• Participated in the Chamber Summerfest and the City of Watkinsville Christmas Parade
• Reverend John Andrew Chapter, NSDAR, installed the America 250 Patriot Marker and Patriot Memorial Plaza at Oconee Veterans Park
• US Fish and Wildlife Service, GA Department of Natural Resources, State Botanical Garden of Georgia, and Southern Timber Solutions started the grassland restoration project at Oconee Veterans Park 

Park Locations

• Bogart Sports Complex 200 S. Burson Street, Bogart
• Heritage Park 2543 Macon Highway, Watkinsville
• Herman C. Michael Park 1051 Elder Road, Bishop
• Oconee Veterans Park 3500A Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville

Communications

Trust & Transparency

Oconee County 101 Launched

The Communications Department launched a new civic engagement program in August 2025. Over the course of the 10-week program, participants connected with department directors, toured facilities, and received hands-on insight into how local government functions.

Oconee County 101 is a free, 10-session program designed to provide firsthand insights into county services and decision-making processes and will be offered annually.

The program offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the county functions, equipping attendees with the knowledge to play a more active role in their community. The program has been a resounding success increasing trust in and transparency of our county government.

New Website Domain Brings Enhanced Security

The official Oconee County Government website got a new .gov domain, www.OconeeCountyGA.gov, providing an enhanced level of security and public trust. .Gov domains are available only to U.S.-based government organizations, making it easy for the public to identify the Oconee County website as a verified governmental entity while assuring users that the information they access is official, trusted information.

 The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), manages the .gov domain, verifying the identity of everyone who requests a .gov domain and providing an increased level of security that protects sensitive information and makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to impersonate government officials.

Board of Commissioners Recognition

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners presented a proclamation recognizing “Government Communicators Day” to the county’s Communications Department at its February Regular Meeting on February 3. Celebrated this year on February 20, “Government Communicators Day” highlights the contributions of public communication professionals across the nation. The Oconee County Communications Department is dedicated to building trust and transparency with the community through effective, impactful, and successful communication strategies. 

 2025 Department Stats

• 782,861 Facebook views; 59% increase in post interactions
• 24,733 Instagram views; 70% reach increase
• 7,826 website subscribers
• 3,634 questions answered via website virtual assistant with a self-service resolution rate of 92%
• 19 graduates of Oconee County 101

Tourism & Visitors Bureau

Step back in time at the Eagle Tavern Museum & the William Daniell House

County Celebrates 150th Birthday

2025 marked a major milestone for our community as we celebrated Oconee County’s 150th birthday in February at the historic William Daniell House, bringing residents together to reflect on the county's history and growth.

The Eagle Tavern Museum continues to serve as a beacon of local history and historical education. The museum is now open for public tours Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., increasing accessibility for both residents and visitors. From January through March, the museum hosted a lecture series on the early history of the Oconee River and the surrounding area, presented by local historian Oconee Joe.

Annual Visitors

• William Daniell House: 804 visitors
• Eagle Tavern Museum: 2,591 visitors

Combined, our historic sites welcomed 3,395 visitors over the past year, demonstrating continued community interest in local history and heritage tourism.

Educational Outreach

Educational programming remains a central focus of the department. This year, Tourism hosted field trips and educational tours for homeschool co-op groups, Prince Avenue Christian School, Social Circle City Schools, Montessori School of Covington, Oconee County Elementary School, The Bridge of Georgia, and St. Joseph’s Catholic School.

Through special events, expanded public access, lectures, and student engagement, the department continues its mission to preserve and share the history of Oconee County with the community and future generations.

Fire Rescue

New Vehicles In Service at Stations 6 & 7

Oconee County Fire Rescue acquired a new Engine for Station 7 in Bogart and a new Tanker for Station 6 in High Shoals. The tanker provides a reliable water supply for structure fires and fire suppression on grass and woods fires.

All seven fire stations now have Sutphen brand Engines, resulting in increased operational efficiency as firefighters are able to operate the same type of truck across all stations.

Fire Safety Classes

Oconee County Fire Rescue Volunteers brought fire safety lessons directly to classrooms in September and October in the form of skits and demonstrations for students in kindergarten through third grade. These sessions teach children how to respond during emergencies and encourage safe practices at home. OCFR Volunteers provide this training yearly to area schools as part of their ongoing commitment to helping students understand fire safety.

LUCAS Devices

Lund University Cardiopulmonary Assist Systems (LUCAS) provide automated and consistent chest compressions for patients in cardiac arrest, allowing medical responders to provide other care such as monitoring the airway and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) management. Oconee County Fire Rescue now has seven LUCAS devices at all seven fire stations on Rescue Trucks strategically located around the county.

New Recruit Medical Training

Oconee County Fire Rescue graduated seven volunteers with Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training. The volunteer medical recruits completed 116 hours of medical training with practicals and completed ride-alongs on National EMS ambulances. Volunteer EMRs reside across the county and can provide medical care prior to an ambulance arrival.

New Recruit Firefighter 1 & 2 Training

Oconee County Fire Rescue graduated six volunteers with a National Firefighter 1 Certification. The volunteer recruits completed 237 hours of fire training with over 150 hands-on practicals. The recruits also participated in live fire training to gain experience in extinguishing structure fires. OCFR’s Firefighter 1 training certification reflects the same standards as most career fire departments.

Oconee County Fire Rescue graduated seven volunteers with National Firefighter 2 Certification. The volunteer recruits completed 75 hours of fire training with over 50 hands-on practicals.

Water Resources

Oconee County Recognized as Water First Community 

The Oconee County Water Resources Department was recently honored at the Georgia State Capitol as a WaterFirst designee. WaterFirst is a recognition program of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) that highlights local governments with a strong commitment to responsible water stewardship. Being a WaterFirst Community carries the added benefit of a 1% interest rate reduction on GEFA loans.

Oconee County has held the WaterFirst designation since 2008, reflecting excellence in the areas of watershed assessment, stormwater master planning, and water conservation. This achievement places Oconee County among only 10% of municipalities in the state with this recognition. 

Department Stats

• Completed 316 service line repairs
• Completed 247 meter installations
• Completed 370 lift station inspections
• Completed 155 lift station repairs
• 24" effluent force main from Calls Creek Treatment Plant to Middle Oconee River underway
• Inflow & Infiltration study completed in Epps Bridge/Oconee Connector area
• Bear Creek Treatment Plant design nearing completion
• Hard Labor Creek Water Treatment Facility construction underway. Estimated to be completed August 2027
• 1000' of Tanglebrook force main rehabilitated

Senior Center

A Community for Vibrant Aging

2025 was a year of growth in membership and programming as the Senior Center worked to carry out its mission to positively impact the community by creating opportunities for healthy aging through social engagement, physical activity and well-being, civic involvement, creativity, and lifelong learning.

Department Stats

• Provided 6,613 nutritious congregate meals on-site
• Provided 9,982 home-delivered meals
• Provided 4,553 trips to and from the senior center
• Provided art, fitness, and other educational/social opportunities to 401 individuals

Civic Center

Newly Renovated to Serve the Community

The Oconee County Civic Center is dedicated to serving as a vibrant community hub, offering a versatile space that fosters community engagement, supports cultural enrichment, and provides a venue that meets the diverse needs of our community.

Renovated over the summer of 2025, the building interior received a fresh coat of paint, new flooring, new doors, and sound panels, and the dressing rooms were updated.

Staff implemented new processes, bringing a reservation system for rentals and accounting, creating social media pages on Instagram and Facebook, as well as updating the website. 

Over the course of 2025, even with the building closure during the renovation, the Civic Center hosted over 220 days of use by our community, with some days hosting multiple events throughout the building.

The Oconee Theater welcomed multiple ballets, comedy shows, three week-long residencies including the Nutcracker Ballet, the musicals “Into the Woods" and “Beetlejuice Jr.," and Elvis was even in the building!

The Banquet rooms, the Magnolia Room, the Shoals Room, and the Oak Room held weddings, anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, fundraising banquets, the Oconee County Library Book Sale and Fan Fest, the Cotton Patch Quilt Show, Boom Athens Senior Expo, Diwali, the GOP 10^th District Meeting, and Statem!nt Consignment Sale for adults.

Oconee County Schools hosted a variety of events in the Civic Center.  Banquets, including Teacher of the Year, professional learning days, musicals, band and chorus concerts, awards ceremonies, administrative meetings, and PSAT testing were held in the building.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners held several meetings, the county employee luncheon, State of the County for residents and business leaders, and training classes for local EMA and law enforcement.

The Civic Center looks forward to welcoming the community during 2026!

 2661 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677 Telephone: 706-769-3902

Keep Oconee County Beautiful Commission

Governor's Circle Award Recipient

The Keep Oconee County Beautiful Commission was recognized with the 2025 Governor’s Circle Award for outstanding achievements in community beautification and environmental sustainability. The Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation (KGBF) presented the award in recognition of exemplary performance in litter reduction, waste minimization, and community greening. 

First Day Hike

We celebrated the start of a new tradition with the addition of the First Day Hike on New Year's Day at Heritage Park. We had a great group of participants (and dogs!) who came out to get their new year started right with some exercise and discussion about Heritage Park programming and historic structures.

Sanitation

We officially opened a brand-new scale house at our Highway 441 Waste & Recycling Site to make weighing and paying easier than ever, and our Highway 441 team is thrilled to use this improved facility to better serve our community.

Sanitation Stats

• Pay-As-You-Throw bags – 26,742
• Recycling – 42,376
• Total collection site visitors – 56,918

Elections

Integrity & Service

The Elections Office successfully carried out its duties throughout 2025 with continued commitment to accuracy, integrity, and service to the voters of Oconee County.

The start of 2025 marked the consolidation of our previous eight precincts into four. Detailed attention to planning, coordination, and voter outreach ensured a smooth transition and continued accessibility for voters.

A total of 91 poll officials were trained during the year, focusing on election procedures, voter service, equipment operation, and compliance with state and federal law, ensuring preparedness for all elections conducted in 2025.

The Elections Office administered four elections during the year. Voter turnout varied by election, with the lowest turnout of 1.14% occurring during the Special Primary Runoff and the highest turnout of 30.41% occurring during the House District 121 Special Election. Each election was conducted in accordance with state and local requirements, regardless of turnout size.

As the year comes to a close, the Board would like to recognize the service of Board Member Doug Hammond, whose time on the Board concluded in 2025. We are sincerely grateful for his dedication and service to the citizens of Oconee County.

Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited about what the future holds and remain committed to continuous improvement, transparency, and public trust in our elections.

Oconee County Libraries

Resources, Programs & Connection

The Oconee County Libraries continue to serve as vibrant centers for the community, providing access to information, technology, and meaningful experiences for residents of all ages.

The Oconee and Bogart library locations circulated over 320,000 items this year, connecting readers with books, digital materials, and other resources to support education, professional growth, and lifelong learning.

Community engagement remained strong, with over 150,000 patron visits recorded between the two locations. In addition, more than 40,000 public computer sessions were logged, reflecting the library’s essential role in providing internet access and digital resources for work, school, and personal needs.

Library facilities also serve as gathering spaces for the broader community. Meeting rooms were used over 300 times by non-library affiliated groups, supporting civic engagement, educational events, and local organizations.

Programs and events continued to draw strong participation, with over 15,000 people attending library programs throughout the year.

Through robust circulation, high patron engagement, and active community programming, the Oconee County Libraries remain a cornerstone of access, opportunity, and connection for residents.