Survey Finds Oconee County Voters Name Economic Problems As Most Important

Oconee County residents are most concerned about economic issues facing the county, including the need for economic development and for growth in employments prospects, according to a scientific survey of registered voters conducted just before the elections last November.

The voters also are concerned about the county’s schools, about strains on the county’s infrastructure and about the weak housing market.

One in five of those responding to the survey said they don’t think the county has any problems or were unable to identify a problem in response to a question asking them to name “the most important problem facing Oconee County.”

The survey was conducted from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 with 188 registered voters selected by chance from the Oconee County voter registration list. Students in a graduate social science research methods class conducted the interviews, mostly by telephone.

The survey also found that the vast majority of Oconee County voters think the Epps Bridge Centre, the major new shopping center under construction on Epps Bridge Parkway, is a good development for the county, mostly because of its expected economic impact.

For details of the survey findings, go to Oconee County Observations.