State road fix solution unacceptable to Oconee

At their regular meeting next week, Oconee County Council members are expected to say no in the form of a resolution to the idea of the state transferring maintenance of some Oconee roads and bridges that are part of the state system. After hearing estimates of what that would cost, the council’s road and transportation committee warmed up to the idea of passing a resolution in opposition to state legislation devolving some road and bridge maintenance to the counties. Mack Kelley, Oconee public works director, estimated the cost of caring for 366 center line miles of roads at $21 million dollars over 25 years. Kelley estimates a slightly larger cost for accepting bridge maintenance costs for the same period of time. Kelley also said he feels the state’s offer of contributing $750 thousand a year toward the county’s costs is inadequate.