Delegation-Council meeting draws a crowd!

A rare meeting of the Oconee County Council and the county’s state Legislative Delegation ended last night with pledges to ensure there will be more in the future. As the leaders wound down after an hour and a half, it was a matter of finding suitable dates on their calendars for the next meetings. Last night’s meeting seemed to open on a good note which allowed for dialogue on some of the issues that have been a sore point between the two political bodies. For instance, the first question posed by Council Chairman Joel Thrift sought the lawmakers’ view on whether there is hope for the state to restore the local government fund to pre-recession levels. Thrift prefaced the question by saying that neither he, nor his colleagues, considers the local delegation responsible—rather their quarrel is with the legislature as a whole. Thrift’s comments followed State Representative Bill Sandifer, delegation chairman, who asked the county leaders to keep in mind that he, Senator Thomas Alexander, and Representative Bill Whitmire make up only three members of the statewide legislature.