Village of Athens tax rate will increase

By Casey Krautkramer

The Village of Athens Board on Monday approved the village’s 2024 annual budget and property tax levy for village residents. Lisa Czech, village of Athens clerk, said the village’s tax rate increased from $7.39 for each $1,000 of assessed property value in the village of Athens to $7.47.

Czech said the overall tax rate for village of Athens residents that includes their village, Athens School District, Northcentral Technical College and Marathon County tax rates increased from $20.76 for each $1,000 of property owned in 2022 to $26.62 in 2023.

For example, Czech said the owner of a $75,000 house in the village of Athens will see a 2023 total tax bill that includes the village, school district, technical college and county taxes of $1,595.52 in 2023 compared to $1,370.24 in 2022. She said the owner of a $100,000 house in the village of Athens will see a 2023 total tax bill that includes the village, school district, technical college and county taxes of $2,261.99 in 2023 compared to $1,889.13 in 2022.

Czech said the owner of a $150,000 house in the village of Athens will see a 2023 total tax bill that includes the village, school district, technical college and county taxes of $3,594.93 compared to $2,926.90 in 2022. She said the owner of a $200,000 house in the village of Athens will see a 2023 total tax bill that includes the village, school district, technical college and county

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taxes of $4,927.88 in 2023 compared to $3,964.68 in 2022. Czech said the owner of a $250,000 house in the village of Athens will see a 2023 total tax bill that includes the village, school district, technical college and county taxes of $6,260.82 compared to $5,002.45 in 2022.

In other news:

n The village board approved a 3 percent raise for village employees.

n Village board members approved the 2024 water and sewer department budgets. The water utility budget is $334,600 for operations and maintenance. The sewer department budget is $293,800 that consists of $194,227 for operations and maintenance, $84,273 for debt service and $15,400 for the replacement fund.

n Athens will have a new rental fee for its village facilities beginning on Jan. 1, 2024. It will now cost village of Athens residents and non-residents an extra $25 to rent the Erbach Park shelter. The new rental fee for the Erbach Park shelter is $125 for residents and $175 for non-residents. The rental fee for the village ball diamonds will increase $25 to $175. Rental fees will stay the same for South Park at $80 for residents and $100 for non-residents.

n The village board will allow the village to buy a heater for the Erbach Park shelter from Nubby’s Service in Athens for $4,250 that will be funded by donations.

n Village board members accepted the donation of a digital sign for the new municipal building from Progress Athens.

n There will be no parking allowed between 2:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. in the new municipal building Degner Street parking lot.

n Village board members approved the new election polling place at the new municipal center located at 203 Alfred Street.

n The village board approved the village street pole Christmas light donation drive established by resident Tracy Westfall at Athens Area Credit Union. Westfall said people can now donate money toward the Christmas snowflake light drive at Athens Area Credit Union to allow the village to replace its 30-yearold Christmas street light decorations.

Westfall is seeking 37 total snowflake Christmas lights consisting of 18 blue snowflakes and 18 white snowflakes that cost $595 each. She said Athens Area Credit Union has a display board to show people the snowflake Christmas decoration lights.

The village of Athens streets committee on Monday chose not to approve Westfall’s proposal to obtain donated money for two large Christmas light decorations consisting of deer and sleighs, which cost almost $13,000 each, until more research can be done on them. Westfall said the large Christmas light displays would either be placed On the Square downtown or in front of the new Athens municipal building.

n Czech told village board members Trinity Lutheran School in Athens is waiting for state officials to tour the former Athens municipal building to see if renovations would be required before a daycare could operate in this space. She said Trinity Lutheran School also has staffing concerns for a possible daycare in the former municipal building.

n The village board approved the first pay request of $111,375 to S.D. Ellenbecker for renovating the Athens water tower.

n Christopher Guden, chairman of the village parks and public welfare committee, said the committee met and decided to keep the village’s dog leash ordinance the same. He said the committee also discussed creating a dog park in the village, but it wants to wait until S.C. Swiderski’s new apartments are finished before revisiting the idea to see if it’s a need after new residents potentially relocate from outside the village to these new apartments in the village.

n Czech told the village board she is looking into solutions to rectify sound issues with noise heard through the vents in the walls of each room in the new municipal building.

ATHENS VILLAGE BOARD MEETS IN THE NEW MUNICIPAL CENTER- The Athens Village Board held its regular monthly meeting on Monday. Village board members, from left to right around the table, are: Christoper Guden, Tyler Socha, Tami Schreiner, village president Randy Decker, Christopher Perkins, Cody Thorson and Taran Brodziski. Athens Village clerk Lisa Czech takes notes at the end of the table.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER