Athens residents are being asked, once again, to pay more. This time it’s a 0.2% income tax increase, framed as necessary to “maintain services” and keep the city competitive. But before we accept that premise, we need to be honest about what’s really going on: this isn’t just about rising costs – it’s about how those costs are being managed. And right now, too much of the burden is being shifted to taxpayers instead of being addressed at the negotiating table.
By the city’s own numbers, roughly 70% of general fund spending goes toward payroll, benefits, and related expenses. Healthcare costs continue to rise, and long-term obligations continue to grow. That means this proposal isn’t about improving services – it’s about sustaining an expensive and increasingly rigid employee cost structure. And much of that structure is shaped through union negotiations that the city enters into on behalf of taxpayers.
That’s where this issue deserves closer attention.
Union contracts are not accidents – they are negotiated agreements. And while those negotiations can be complex, they are also where the city has its greatest opportunity — and responsibility — to control costs. When agreements result in compensation and benefits that outpace what the city can sustainably afford, the consequences don’t stay at City Hall. They show up in the form of tax increases.
Too often, the pattern feels backwards. Instead of negotiating firmly with long-term sustainability in mind, the city agrees to costly terms and then comes back to residents asking them to cover the difference. If there is always an expectation that taxpayers will absorb rising costs, there is less incentive to hold the line during negotiations.
This is not a criticism of city employees. Athens has dedicated people providing important services, and they deserve fair compensation. But “fair” must also mean sustainable — not just for today, but for the future of the entire community. And it’s worth pausing, collectively, to reflect on what that balance looks like.
City employees have seen total compensation rise by approximately 15% to 22% over the last four years — including steady raises, step increases, and longevity pay — on top of healthcare and benefit packages that most private-sector workers can only dream of. In a community like ours, where everyone contributes to the same tax base, it’s reasonable to ask whether the current trajectory reflects shared sacrifice — or whether the burden is becoming increasingly one-sided.
For city employees themselves, there’s also a moment for reflection. When higher taxes are paid by everyone — including you, alongside union dues — is continuing to push for ever-increasing compensation truly serving the broader community, or primarily benefiting a narrower group? In a town like Athens, where neighbors depend on one another, that’s not an accusation, it’s a question worth considering carefully.
City officials often argue that they must offer competitive wages and benefits to attract and retain employees. That’s true to a degree. But Athens is not just competing on salary. People work here because they care about this community. They stay because of the quality of life, the culture, and the sense of purpose that comes with serving a place like Athens. That reality should give the city confidence to negotiate more firmly — not less.
Meanwhile, Athens residents don’t have the same flexibility. Families can’t simply raise their income when expenses increase. Small businesses can’t endlessly pass along higher costs without consequences. They make hard decisions. They adjust. They find ways to live within their means. It is reasonable to expect the city government to operate with that same discipline before asking for more.
It’s also worth remembering that voters already rejected a larger tax increase one year ago. That should have been a moment for reset — a chance to reexamine spending and approach negotiations differently. Instead, we are being asked again, with a slightly smaller request but the same underlying problem still in place.
A NO vote is not about cutting services or undermining city workers. It is about restoring balance. It gives city leadership the mandate it needs to negotiate more firmly in the future—to prioritize sustainability, to push for cost control, and to ensure that agreements made today don’t become unaffordable burdens tomorrow. Without that leverage, the path of least resistance will remain the same: agree to rising costs, then ask taxpayers to make up the difference.
Athens deserves better than that.
If this tax increase passes, the message is clear: the current approach is acceptable, and taxpayers will continue to carry the load. If it is successfully voted down, the message is just as clear: negotiate smarter, manage costs responsibly, and come back only when the hard work has been done first.
Athens is a strong, thoughtful community. We can support our city employees while also insisting on accountability from those negotiating on our behalf—and ensuring that sacrifice, responsibility, and sustainability are shared by all.
Vote NO on Issue 1.
Gabe Spiezio
Athens, Ohio