The following vote amounts and percentages are from unofficial results as of 10:05 pm Tuesday.
Athens County’s levies 19, 20, 21 and 22 which support medical treatment and emergency vehicles, senior citizen facilities and children’s services, respectively, passed for renewal.
For clarification, a mill is $1 per $1,000 assessed value. An assessed value for a person is any property taxable value a person has.
In addition, it is important to understand the difference between a renewal and a replacement. A replacement would lead to the value of the millage changing, most likely increasing.
Levy 19
23,268 votes were cast for Tax Levy 19, with 12,147 votes supporting the levy, while 11,121 votes were against the levy. Levy 19 passed with 52.20% of the votes in favor and 47.79% against.
The funds from Levy 19 will support tuberculosis treatment, specifically for tuberculosis clinics and testing.
With the renewal, it is estimated to collect $213,000 annually from Athens County taxpayers. The rate at which people will be taxed will never exceed 0.3 mills, meaning for $100,000 of assessed property, a person would be paying $4.
The taxes for the renewal will not be collected until 2026. The previous renewal of the levy will be collected for the final time in 2025.
Levy 20
23,596 votes were cast for this tax levy, with 16,460 votes in favor of its renewal and 7,136 against it. This levy passed with 69.76% of the votes in support and 30.24% against.
Levy 20 will fund emergency medical services in the county, specifically the maintenance and operation of emergency vehicles.
The levy is estimated to earn $557,000 yearly, beginning in 2025, from Athens County residents. This would be done at a rate not exceeding 0.5 mills, collecting $11 for $100,000 from each person per assessed value.
Levy 21
Levy 21 will provide funding for senior citizen facilities and services, which may be used to support social services, help meet needs, and provide housing.
The tax levy passed with 69.19% of the votes in favor and 30.81% against. 23,486 votes were cast for Levy 21, with 16,251 votes in support and 7,235 votes against.
It is estimated that Levy 21 will generate $278,000 each year and not tax at a millage above 0.25 mills, meaning that for a $100,000 assessed value, a person would be paying $5.
Levy 21 will begin collection in 2025 for the next five years.
Levy 22
Levy 22, estimated to generate about $2.9 million, will support children’s services and care, helping to prevent children from being abused and neglected. These taxes will also help with children's placement, care and protection.
The levy passed with 15,945 votes in favor and 7,612 votes against; a total of 23,557 ballots were cast on the levy, meaning 67.69% of the votes were supported and 32.31% against.
The millage of the levy is not to exceed three mills, meaning $100,000 assessed value, a person would be paying $60.
The levy will not begin collecting taxes until 2026 and will last 10 years.
