The Oconee Brief

In this episode I break down a developer lawsuit, the primary, and why none of it is over. Don Mize won District 3 with 64 percent of the vote. But a Democrat is on the ballot in November, that seat is more split than people think, and it flips if Republicans stay home.I also cover Tuesday’s budget. It’s balanced, it’s revenue neutral, and it does not raise taxes. And I walk through the Chattooga Lake Club dam grant. No county or state tax dollars. The county is just the pass-through for the federal money to repair the dam. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewdurham.substack.com

Tonight I went live on Facebook to discuss what we uncovered during today’s Oconee County budget workshop. Not everyone is on Facebook, so I decided to share here.What we are finding is deeply concerning.For years, County Council appears to have been given financial reports and budget numbers that did not accurately reflect actual expenditures. Spending exceeded council-approved budgets by millions of dollars.The deeper we dig, the worse it gets.Taxpayers deserve transparency. County employees deserve stability. The people of Oconee County deserve accountability.We are working to correct these problems, restore trust, and put safeguards in place so this never happens again.Listen to the full episode below.You can also listen on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyAnd YouTube This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewdurham.substack.com

Just wrapped up the May 5, 2026 Oconee County Council meeting. In this episode I walk through what happened tonight and what it means going forward.We start with the three proclamations Council read at the top of the meeting — honoring the Walhalla High School Lady Razorbacks, recognizing Peace Officers Memorial Day, and observing the National Day of Prayer.Then we get into the policy.The big item is Ordinance 2026-15, the residential subdivision moratorium introduced by Councilman Don Mize. There has been a lot of confusion about what this ordinance actually does, so I take some time to explain it. The county is in the middle of updating three chapters of our code — Chapter 38 zoning, Chapter 32 design standards, and Chapter 26 roads. Together those chapters govern almost every new subdivision built in Oconee County. The moratorium is a temporary pause on planned subdivisions of more than 10 dwelling units while we finish the code update. Without it, large applications would race in under the old rules and lock outdated standards into the ground for the next 50 years. I explain the scope, the property rights question, and where I stand at first reading.Next is Ordinance 2026-14, a property tax cut for boat owners. South Carolina has historically been among the most expensive states in the nation for boat property tax, with watercraft taxed at the highest assessment ratio in the state code. The General Assembly passed and the Governor signed a major boat tax cut earlier this year, but the state phase-in does not fully take effect until tax year 2029. Council moved tonight to adopt the exemption locally, which gets Oconee County boat owners to the lower rate now instead of waiting three years. I walk through the assessment ratio math and explain why getting ahead of the state matters here.Finally, Ordinance 2026-17 — renaming the Control Free District to the General Use District. Same district, same rules, better name. I explain why the change matters even though nothing about the underlying zoning is changing.The next council meeting is May 19. The moratorium and the boat tax cut will both be back for second reading, with a public hearing before third reading. If you have an opinion on either, that is the venue.Drop your questions in the comments. Full breakdown coming on Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewdurham.substack.com

Chairman Matthew Durham breaks down the April 21, 2026 Oconee County Council meeting. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewdurham.substack.com

I sit down with Oconee County Administrator Stewart Jones to break down his first 100 days on the job.We discuss what he found when he stepped in, the issues facing county government, and the actions being taken to restore accountability and fix what wasn’t working.This is a straightforward look at where we are and where we’re headed. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit matthewdurham.substack.com