Severe economic consequences predicted in Salem

When a small town loses a school something strikes at the heart of the community.  And the councilwoman who represents Salem envisions severe economic consequences for the town—if the county school trustees vote to close the combination middle and high school  Last night District One’s Edda Cammick renewed her attempt to persuade her Oconee County Council colleagues to commit $250 thousand to help Salem match a grant to extend water and sewer lines.  Over the years, town leaders have complained that without the ability to run utilities to their area of highway 11 the town will never be able to attract a supermarket or other commercial development.  And without a school in town, there’ll be a hole in the city’s utilities budget.  Cammick chairs the county’s budget committee and spoke last night during a meeting of that committee.