ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio — Athens County voters resoundingly approved two countywide levies and a countywide sales tax in Tuesday’s general election.
The levies support the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Athens County Emergency Medical Services, while the sales tax supports Athens County 911.
Trimble voters also narrowly approved an earned income tax to support the district amid its fiscal emergency.
County residents approved almost all township, village and city levies on the ballot, with the exception of a road levy in Troy Township.
Voters also approved four liquor options: two in Hockingport, one in Glouster and one in Nelsonville. In Glouster, voters rejected a gas aggregation issue.
Countywide issues
Athens County voters passed Issue 1, with 67% of voters in favor. The issue renews a 1.8 mill, five-year levy for the maintenance and operations of the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Annually, the levy costs $44 for every $100,000 in property value and provides an estimated $2 million per year to the board.
The board serves more than 800 people who have developmental disabilities each year — a 46% increase from 10 years ago, the board’s Assistant Superintendent Arian Smedley previously told the Independent. Programs offered by the board include early intervention, Beacon School and preschool, transition services, case management, summer camp, and workforce development programs.
Voters countywide also passed Issue 2 by 67%. The issue will continue a sales tax that supports Athens County 911 for the next five years, starting next year.
The 0.25% tax is equivalent to 2.5 cents for every $10. The previous five-year levy generated $10 million for 911, Athens County 911 and Emergency Management Agency Director Teresa Fouts Imler previously told the Independent. The levy will allow Athens County 911 to maintain and upgrade technological assets, Fouts Imler said.
Revenue generated by the levy previously supported the recently constructed Athens County 911 facility.
Voters countywide also passed Issue 3, a replacement levy for Athens County Emergency Medical Services, with 61% voting in favor.
The replacement levy increases the current tax from 1 mill by 0.5 mills, for a total tax of 1.5 mills, starting next year, for five years.
The levy will bring in estimated annual revenue of $2.3 million and will cost taxpayers $53 for every $100,000 of appraised property value. Athens County EMS Chief Amber Pyle previously told the Independent that the levy is necessary to maintain current EMS operations, which encompasses five stations and six trucks running around the clock.
Trimble Local School District (Athens and Morgan counties)
Trimble Local School District voters appeared to have narrowly adopted an earned income tax to support the Trimble Local School District on Tuesday. The district is currently experiencing a fiscal emergency.
In Athens County, the issue passed by a margin of 34 votes. Morgan County is also home to a small sliver of the Trimble Local School District, and results were not available by press time.
However, just 32 Morgan County residents participated in the previous Trimble school district elections, making it unlikely that the county’s election will impact the outcome of the tax levy.
The five-year, 1% earned income tax, effective Jan. 1, 2026, would apply to only earned income; it would not affect Social Security benefits or pensions. According to a pamphlet by Support Our Trimble Schools, the income tax would cost about $250 per year for every $25,000 in earnings.
Christopher Wright, who serves on the state’s financial oversight commission for the district, previously told the Independent that the district is projecting an estimated $1.2 million deficit for this school year and nearly $2 million next year.
In conversations with the Independent, multiple school board candidates previously told the Independent that the passage of the levy would allow them to protect against further layoffs.
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