Athens City Council members are toying with renewing a levy to increase the city’s income tax.
And Monday night they heard from a former mayor offering his support for the measure.
Former Athens City Mayor Richard Abel spoke during council’s regular meeting, voicing his support for the ordinance to raise funds for the city's Arts, Parks and Recreation Department. He also successfully convinced council members to broaden the parameters of the ordinance to incorporate unforeseen expenses.
Abel appeared at the meeting on behalf of the Athens Citizens Advisory Board
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The ordinance was introduced by at-large Democratic councilwoman Chris Knisely last week during council’s committee meetings. The levy would raise Athens City’s annual income tax by one-tenth of a percent. The tax increase would be in place for twenty years.
If passed by council, this ordinance will appear on the November ballot, where it can only pass with majority approval.
The ordinance is an attempt to replace the existing levy which provides funding for the public swimming pool and will expire at the end of 2015. There will be a one year overlap on the two levies.
The new levy would offer more flexibility than the existing one, Knisely said, including funds to cover maintenance and construction costs for a number of facilities offered by the city’s Arts, Parks and Recreation Department. The new levy will also appropriate funds to renovate the public pool at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., which Knisely said has been poorly maintained.
But Abel encouraged council to broaden the parameters of the ordinance even further, as a sort of “catch-all” for any expenses which may arise in the next 20 years that cannot be foreseen at this time, including the acquisition of new land for parks, nature reserves and playgrounds.
“I’m sure in a few years there will be something the kids want that we haven’t even heard of yet,” he said.
After Abel had finished his presentation, at-large Democratic councilwoman Jennifer Cochran moved that Abel’s suggestions be added to the ordinance. The change was unanimously accepted.
Abel admitted the change may make it harder to win over public support for the ordinance, though it wouldn’t increase the levied amount.
“If we can present to the voters out there the importance of liveability … I don’t think the change will be a problem,” Democratic third-ward councilwoman Michele Papai said. Papai's son, Will Drabold, is the campus staff editor at The Post.
The ordinance must be presented at two more regular sessions of city council before council can vote on it.
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