Athens’ 2025 budget includes increase in waste fees
By Casey Krautkramer
Village of Athens residents will pay more for their garbage and recycling services in 2025 – an increase that is reflected in the annual budget approved by the village board on Nov. 25.
Village clerk Lisa Czech said the base rate for garbage and recycling fees will be $18.80 per month, which is a $4 increase over the current $14.80 that village residents pay Waste Management.
A clause in the village’s new contract with Harter’s Expert Disposal also allows for a monthly fuel surcharge if the price for gasoline goes above $4 per gallon during the month. Beginning in 2025, Czech said residents’ garbage and recycling fees will be moved from their monthly utility bill to their yearly property tax bill, adding a total of $225.60 based on the monthly rate of $18.80.
Starting Jan. 1, village residents will use 95-gallon carts under the new contract with Harter’s.
Czech said the village’s revenues and expenses for its garbage and recycling service offset each other. The anticipated revenue under the garbage contract with Harter’s is $101,520, and the expenses are $60,912 for garbage and $40,608 for recycling.
The village’s overall 2025 budget will consist of about $1.2 million in revenues and expenses, which is an increase of about 2.5 percent, or $29,450, compared to 2024. Property taxes will increase in 2025 by approximately $1,600, which is less than a full percent compared to this year. The village will collect a total amount of $383,915 in taxes from its residents in 2025.
State revenue for the village will increase by about $7,400, up to $333,505, while its state transportation will decrease by $11,500, down to $104,908.
All of the property in Athens will be re-assessed in 2025, and as a result, the village will pay its assessor a total of almost $43,000 next year, which is an increase of $31,400 compared to this year.
Police chief Aaron Stencil received a raise in salary midway through this year that counts toward an increase of $8,210 up to $77,250 in 2025.
Stencil requested the village board hire another full-time police officer but village board members instead decided to add another parttime police officer while increasing their hourly salary to help retain them. Athens now has six part-time police officers, who will each receive a $4 increase in pay from $20 per hour in 2024 to $24 per hour in 2025. The total wages for part-time police officers will increase by $7,200 in the village’s 2025 budget.
The village’s squad car/squad reserve fund will decrease by $46,000 in the 2025 budget after the village bought a new police squad car this year. There is $2,000 in the 2025 budget for a new TASER.
For street projects in 2025, the village has budgeted $150,000 for Maple Street, $20,000 for Schlegel Street and $8,000 overall for engineering. Czech said the village will not receive any matching funds from the county or state for these street projects, but the village’s utilities will pay for any additional costs related to water and sewer main replacement.
