The people of Oconee County have a lot on their minds. The Daily Journal/Messenger has solicited dozens of comments on what taxpayers feel should be the 'agenda' for county government. We encourage others to send us their agendas.

With this Internet site we begin our effort to address the expressed concerns and opinions readers have shared by presenting a series of articles outlining the various departments of county government. We believe that understanding who represents government and how government works is a good first step.

We invite you to ask questions generated by these county profiles. The Daily Journal/Messenger will, in turn, seek to get answers to your questions, thus creating a legitimate dialogue between government and the people it represents.

We see this as part of our responsibility to open government up to the people who fund it. We do not intend for this to be long series of diatribes against government or the public servants who are part of it. It is our hope that this series of outlines and stories can be a positive exchange that results in a more informed public and, yes, a more responsive county government.