Mayor Marks speaks at 2025 Athens State of the City
The event was hosted by the Athens-Limestone County Chamber of Commerce.
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Rather than giving a State of the City address, Mayor Ronnie Marks participated in a Q&A. He answered a series of questions discussing a range of topics including quality of life improvements, crime levels, tourism, parks & recreation improvements, mental health and more.
Mayor Marks said the City of Athens is doing well, financially.
'Our budget and our finances are in very good shape,' he said.
Marks also spent time encouraging residents to 'shop local.'
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He said '42% of the general fund' comes from sales taxes. That money helps provide funding for police, fire, and sanitation. He said he hopes Athens residents continue to grocery shop in city limits, rather than visit neighboring cities like Madison and Huntsville.
Speaking of grocery shopping, residents will soon have more options within city limits. Marks told News 19 that a Publix is going in at the intersection of U.S. Highway 72 & Mooresville Road, and a Food City is going in on the west side of town.
It's no secret that Athens is growing quickly, and Marks also touched on the growth. He said the City of Athens currently has about 31,000 residents, but that will change quickly.
'You're going to be a city of 40,000 people not in 10 years, not in 20 years, but in the next few years,' Marks said.
The mayor said that there are a lot of housing projects on the way, including '9,000 housing units in the queue.'
Marks said as they focus on expanding housing, they need to make sure there's something for everyone.
'What are we going to do in the future in this area for affordable housing?' he said. 'It's a real challenge, and I don't want to just say, hey, whoopee break out the pompoms and everything's wonderful. It is wonderful, but we have opportunities to make it better.'
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