OPINION: Athens needs to fix its agenda before starting new projects

Photo via Emily Hall/The New Political

This article was published in The New Political’s 2025 Fall Print.

Beyond the bricks of Ohio University lies a different side of Athens that students rarely see. It reveals the reality of life in Appalachia that many do not realize they are living alongside: poverty, drug epidemics, food insecurity and homelessness. These issues are not unique to Athens; according to a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, many cities and towns across Appalachia experience social inequalities at higher rates than most of the country. 

However, to the people residing in Athens, city officials appear to prefer spending their budget on ambitious projects rather than supporting its people. Whether that is a multimillion-dollar firehouse or adding bike lanes to obscure side roads, it is evident that the city of Athens needs to fix its priorities before it begins chasing new and expensive projects.

Of course, no one is going to deny that spending money is necessary for a city to function properly; public road maintenance costs money, rehabilitation projects cost money, paying the salaries of city employees costs money. Having said that, the issues with Athens’ spending is that much of it is being funneled into unnecessary and costly projects that are being paid with its residents’ tax dollars. 

In June 2022, the Athens City Council passed ordinances to approve the building of a new firehouse after it was decided the old facility was no longer able to suit the city's needs. After the land was purchased from Ohio U in April 2023, construction began later that year in June. When it was first proposed in Fall 2021, it was projected to cost $6 million. At the time of approval, the new firehouse was estimated to cost $9 million. However, after the bids for the construction came in higher than anticipated, the Athens City Council unanimously voted to increase the budget to $12.4 million and can spend up to $13.67 million.

By the time the firehouse was unveiled in October 2024, the total cost for the build was over $14 million, $5 million more than what was originally approved and almost triple the average cost of a new Ohio firehouse. 

Additionally, the ongoing construction on the Stimson Avenue Bridge, a project that was framed as necessary infrastructure maintenance, raises similar questions about fiscal responsibility and public benefit. 

While the bridge rehabilitation was first discussed in June 2023, the project was officially awarded a bid in spring 2025 and construction began not long after. According to the Athens City Council website, the project entails significant improvements, including replacing the deck, approach slabs, guardrail, abutments and substructure, and introducing new lighting and a pedestrian path across the bridge to enhance safety and accessibility for all bridge users.

When asked if the construction project was necessary, Gillian Garland, an assistant city engineer for Athens, said, “The bridge deck needs replacing due to age. Doing this work now will extend the life of the bridge, so the entire structure does not need to be redone.”

Knowing the bridge rehabilitation project was done because the deck needed replacing, it leads one to wonder why the project included adding a designated pedestrian pathway to a bridge with little foot traffic.

The bridge is on the edge of the city and is used mainly as an outlet to the highway. The only road usable to bikes and pedestrians is Rock Riffle Road, which has very few businesses and houses, and does not even have sidewalks itself; it is more akin to a country back road. 

Those who do walk, run or bike on the bridge are likely looking for alternate routes to use around Athens and are in a small minority. While the addition of a pedestrian path does provide easier and safer access for runners and bikers coming into Athens, the Stimson Avenue bridge is used by a small group of people and does not warrant the significant time and resources for renovations. The Stimson Avenue bridge rehabilitation project is an example of infrastructure without a clear purpose; an underutilized walkway and bike lane that leads to nowhere.

It was clear there was a community need for a new firehouse, especially for one close to the student dorms at Ohio U, and for construction to be done on the Stimson Avenue bridge. However, the price of these projects leads to a natural question: was the cost necessary?

According to the CensusReporter.org, 41.6% of Athens city residents live below the poverty line; that is over 10,000 people who are unable to have basic necessities like food, clothing and shelter. While this number is slightly skewed because of the student population's income data affecting the results, it does not mask the long-term struggles of local residents who live in poverty. 

Poverty, homelessness, drug issues and lack of affordable housing are Athens’ real emergencies that often go unnoticed by officials. Despite these obvious challenges, city funds continue to flow toward large-scale construction projects, rather than community support initiatives such as affordable housing, addiction services or public transit improvements that would directly benefit low-income residents.

The need for city investment is clear, but Athens’ pattern of overspending on projects that exceed their budgets or provide limited public benefit raises concerns about its financial priorities. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new fire station last October, Andy Stone, the Service-Safety Director, told the crowd that “We built [the fire station] not for today… We built this for Athens far in the future. So that when you look at it, you say, ‘wow, that’s an impressive fire station,’ that’s why. We were building for the future with this building.” 

Both the firehouse and Stimson Avenue bridge rehabilitation began as well-intentioned projects, but quickly became examples of fiscal inefficiency. Although each was justified as an improvement to public safety and infrastructure, their soaring costs and questionable scope highlight a recurring problem in how Athens allocates and manages taxpayer money. City officials seem more focused on their efforts on progressive policies that fail to address the needs of the greater public; investing in a $14 million firehouse and pedestrian pathway on an underused bridge, even as nearly half of its city residents live below the poverty line. In trying so hard to build for tomorrow, Athens has forgotten to take care of its people today.