Both levies supporting Athens City School District, ACSD, and Athens County Emergency Medical Services, ACEMS, passed today after the Nov. 7 election. The levies will provide additional funding for these public institutions.
The school district bond issue passed with 4,658 votes or 58% of the vote for and 3,349 or 42% against. The county EMS tax levy passed with 10,508 votes for or 62%, with 6,430 against or 38% of the vote.
The Athens County Emergency Medical Services levy will provide the department with $1,913,870 in additional tax revenue.
The money raised from these taxes will be put into an account in the auditor's office and only available for use by the ACEMS.
The funds will be used for various necessities and daily operations, including wages, trucks, buildings and insurance.
The levy will also help raise the base pay for the paramedics within the ACEMS, which has been behind other emergency and medical services, Trask said.
Amber Pyle, the ACEMS Chief, said that an ACEMS levy has never failed in Athens County, and this passage continues to show support from the community.
For Athens city school district levy will increase taxpayers current property taxes by about $30 more in 2025 than in 2024 for every $100,000 of appraised value per year, ACSD superintendent Tom Gibbs said.
This levy will provide ACSD with the funds it needs to construct a new high school. The property taxes associated with this levy will start being collected in 2025, Gibbs said.
ACSD school board member Sean Parsons was convinced the levy was going to pass because of the support the community has shown toward the Athens school system.
"People in our community have continued to support our school district, and they know that education is important … they've been gracious to continue to support the school district when there's need," Parsons said.
