All four levy renewals passed in the City of Athens.
The levies will be assessed in “mills.” According to the Athens County Auditor’s website, 1 mill is equivalent to $1 for every $1,000 of a home’s tax-assessed value.
Athens City School District
The Athens City School District (ACSD) levy renewed a 1 percent income tax levy for “current operating expenses,” according to official ballot language.
The levy passed with about 65 percent of the vote.
In a statement on the Athens City Schools website, Superintendent Tom Gibbs said the levy would fund the school’s “day-to-day” operations.
“The renewal levy funds the important day-to-day operations of our schools such as teachers, utilities and supplies,” Gibbs said in the statement. “The levy represents approximately 12.5 percent of our general operating budget. With it, we can continue to maintain the current quality of education and provide what the community values such as smaller class sizes, opportunities for students and high quality professional development for teachers and staff.”
According to a previous Post report, the ACSD passed a similar levy renewal last year which represented around 12 percent of the district’s budget at about $3.7 million.
Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities
The Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities (ACBDD) 1.8 mill levy passed with 71.13 percent of the vote.
The levy represents roughly 15 percent of its annual budget, according to the board’s website.
“This is one of the agency’s four levies. Nearly 60 percent of the agency’s revenue comes from local taxes that are solely spent on individuals who live in Athens County,” a statement on the ACBDD website reads. “The funds will be used for the maintenance and operation of programs and services of the ACBDD.”
Athens County Emergency Medical Services
The Athens County Emergency Medical Services levy passed with 77.17 percent of the vote.
The levy would “provide for Emergency Medical Services,” according to official ballot language.
According to the Athens County Emergency Medical Service’s (EMS) website, levies account for roughly half of the EMS’s operating expenses.
“Athens County has several smaller property tax levies that cover about half of the operating expenses for Emergency Medical Services,” a statement on the website reads. “Patient billing is used to cover the other half. With this system, property owners who may never use EMS aren’t stuck paying 100 percent of the bill, and the patients who need and use EMS aren’t charged exceptionally high rates to cover 100 percent of our operating expenses. Providing a high quality paramedic-level EMS system that operates 24 hours a day costs money.”
Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services District
The Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services District levy passed with 70.50 percent of the vote.
The levy is “for the purpose of supplementing the general fund for the purpose of the operation, acquisition and construction of alcohol, drug addiction and mental health services and facilities,” according to official ballot language.
“We are careful stewards of tax dollars, ever mindful of our responsibility to maintain the highest standards of accountability, while safeguarding the quality of services we fund,” A statement from the Board’s website reads. “Our voters have demonstrated their appreciation for our high-quality services, public accountability and effective management by their continued support of our levies. We will continue to meet their expectations.”
