Athens City Council to move forward with new solar energy facility and tax code.
Athens City Council is moving forward with plans to request a proposal for a solar energy facility in Athens county.
Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, will introduce a resolution Monday representing the city of Athens’ support for the creation of a solar farm potentially in the New Albany area.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl, as a member of the Southeast Ohio Energy Public Energy Council, asked city council for the resolution to show its commitment to the facility.
“I want council to be engaged on this,” Wiehl said.
Though the resolution does voice the city’s support for the solar energy facility, it does not bind council to approving a plan once it is presented, he said.
An ordinance will also be presented by all council members to amend the Athens Municipal Code to include the new state-mandated municipal income tax code.
At the last city council meeting, Tina Timberman, Athens’ tax administrator, voiced her concerns about the newly required tax code.
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“I feel that it’s a complete breach of home rule … But I don’t know who’s got the money to fight it,” Timberman said.
Home rule is understood as the right of local governments to maintain certain regulatory powers, including taxation.
“They took a relatively easy tax code that was maybe 15 pages and made a monstrosity about it,” Fahl said. “In my opinion, it’s trying to make it much more difficult for communities, municipalities to do their taxes.”
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, said during the past ten years the city of Athens has gone from receiving over $800,000 back in taxes paid to the state to a little more than $300,000.
“How do we upgrade sewer systems and build roads and all these things that people are used to?” Papai said. “That’s what taxes are for.”
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