After a local city school levy looked for most of the night as if it would be voted down, the proposition passed in the end with nearly 70 percent of the vote.
The levy, which would replace the current permanent improvement funds for Athens City School District, passed yesterday with 1,427 votes, or 68.24 percent, according to the Athens County Board of Elections.
The levy will fund general and on-going improvements to schools within the district. These improvements might include general repair, textbooks, classroom furniture, school bus maintenance and educational equipment.
It will continue a 2.9 mills for each $1 valuation of property tax for the next five years, which amounts to 29 cents for each $100 of valuation. The payment will first be due in calendar year 2012, according to the ballot.
At 8:25 p.m., it seemed that the level would not pass, with 210 votes against it and only 67 votes in favor.
Current Athens City Councilman Jim Sands, D-at Large, said he was surprised the levy was not passing early in the night.
“Schools are always good … It matters what precincts are counted first,” said Sands, who won the Democratic nomination for council president in the upcoming November election.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said he was happy the levy passed.
“We are an educational city, in case you didn’t notice,” Wiehl said.
Better education for the high school students would be beneficial for their future, he added.
“Good students at the front end creates good students at the back end,” he said.
The official results for the elections will not be available until May 19, when provisional and absentee ballots are counted, a board of elections official said.
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