Decision 2026 | City of Athens income tax levy, explained

ATHENS, Ohio (WSAZ) - Voters in Athens, Ohio, will decide on a measure that would increase their income taxes by 0.2 percent during May’s primary election, from 1.95 percent to 2.15 percent.

City officials said the added funds would help them keep up with rising costs and maintain current services in the city.

“We want our citizens to enjoy the Athens that they’ve always enjoyed,” Athens treasurer Josh Thomas told WSAZ.

A similar ballot measure failed in May 2025, which asked for a 0.3 percent increase in income taxes. City officials hope the smaller ask will be more favorable for the voters.

Under the proposal, someone with a $40,000 income, for example, would pay an additional $80 per year to the city.

• Income x 0.002 = additional payment per year
• Income x 0.215 = New proposed income tax

According to city officials, the money would go toward things like park and street maintenance, funding the police and fire departments, and paying city staff.

Mayor Steve Patterson told WSAZ the new funds would not fund new projects, but simply maintain current services.

“It means that you will continue to see the services that you have been experiencing over the course of the past 10, 15 years,” he said.

According to Patterson and Thomas, if the levy doesn’t pass, the city will have to make cuts, both in staff and services.

“If you have less people, you can do less things,” Thomas explained. “So maybe we have to do a little less paving, we have to do a little less repair here and there. We have a lot of green space here in Athens ... there may be some areas that we’re calling ‘no mow zones’ that we may not have the staff to keep up with that as much.”

“We talk about police and fire all the time, everybody mentions that,” he continued. “You don’t want to have less police, you don’t want to have less fire. Nobody wants that. And if you did, you have slower response rates possible. Those are things we want to avoid. But when it comes down to it, if it doesn’t pass, we’ll have to look at all of our options.”

Patterson and Thomas also said the city has already been cutting some of their expenses, and implemented a “soft hiring freeze,” but those measures haven’t been enough to cover costs.

“If we’re looking forward in time to 2027 and beyond, we’re going to have to make some more drastic changes if this ballot initiative doesn’t pass this May,” Patterson said.

“We want to make sure that Athens is sustainable not just for a year or two, but for many years to come,” Thomas added.