On Nov. 8, AthChat podcast hosted a debate at Ciné featuring three of the four mayoral candidates for Athens: Tim Denson, LaKeisha Gantt and Mara Zuniga. From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the candidates discussed their views on different issues that affect the Athens community. Below are a few of the issues talked about during the debate and each candidate’s views on them.
Affordable housing
Gantt proposed working with local institutions to discuss potential payments in lieu of taxes. She also said apartment developments that include only a small number of affordable units will not significantly address the community’s housing needs. Gantt added that the city could explore partnerships with local nonprofits that are currently exempt from paying taxes.
“I believe we have a wonderful opportunity here to partner with our institutions and have conversations and ask for payment in lieu of taxes,” Gantt said. “Building apartment complexes and having two or three affordable units … is not going to impact the need that we have.”
Zuniga spoke about the importance of financial literacy and experience in understanding real-estate. She mentions how initiatives to combat affordable housing might not always appear as beneficial as they seem, and that it is important to understand when an initiative is working and when it is not.
“I think a game plan would be to sit down with experts, discuss from their background, real estate and construction,” Zuniga said. “Home ownership doesn’t stop because interest rates go up or because there’s a lack of shortages. It’s really a matter of educating people and letting them know what needs to be happening for them to find home.”
Denson said Athens faces a housing shortage and that residents need to recognize the severity of the current crisis. He emphasized the need for more housing overall, particularly affordable options. Denson proposed expanding inclusionary housing policies and using Athens-Clarke County’s affordable housing fund to support development. He also suggested using the new homestead exemption to help lower property taxes for homeowners.
“We can be creating more housing with our inclusionary housing policies and expanding them using our affordable housing fund that Athens-Clarke County already has … and, of course, using the new homestead exemption to bring down taxes for homeowners.”
Homelessness
Denson said addressing homelessness in Athens should involve subsidizing housing and offering wraparound services, including case management and support staff to help individuals overcome barriers and access needed resources.
Gantt also called for expanding wraparound services, saying such support can help address the root causes of an individual’s circumstances. She emphasized the importance of strengthening mental health care and tackling the underlying factors that contribute to homelessness.
“I think if we can expand our wraparound services, then we get to the root causes of what may be contributing to that person’s situation,” Gantt said.
Zuniga said addressing homelessness will require collaboration with partners beyond the local level. She noted that the solution will likely be costly and should involve support from the state and neighboring communities. Zuniga emphasized the need to develop sustainable, long-term approaches to the issue.
“I would look for sustainable solutions with the state and surrounding areas, because I think we need to share those costs,” Zuniga said. “You can come up with solutions, but they have to be shared. It cannot be solely an Athens local problem.”
Taxes and public services
Transitioning to broader community concerns, Zuniga said some residents are willing to pay higher taxes if they see meaningful results and feel their needs are being met. She added that the same principle applies to public safety and other essential services, emphasizing the importance of listening to and addressing the community’s priorities.
“When I look at situations like that, I like to listen to the community, because you are the ones that matter,” Zuniga said.
Denson agreed that listening to the community would be an important part of serving as mayor, noting that residents expect both the continuation and quality of current services. He pointed to examples such as maintaining parks and repairing roads. Denson referenced an upcoming referendum in which voters will decide whether to maintain higher service levels with higher taxes or reduce both. He also highlighted the benefits of homestead exemptions and the importance of diversifying the city’s revenue sources.
“The community does have an expectation for the services they’re getting now, and an expectation for the services to continue,” Denson said.
Gantt said adding another cent to the sales tax could be an option but warned it would place a heavier burden on people experiencing poverty and those on fixed incomes. She argued that the community should instead focus on asking local public and nonprofit institutions to contribute to the housing fund. Gantt emphasized the need for difficult but necessary conversations about fairer, more effective ways to generate revenue.
“We keep talking about other options that will result in taxing poor people more and taxing people that are already on fixed incomes more, when we have options to have hard conversations, we have to start somewhere,” Gantt said.
Community voices
Molly Canfield, an Athens resident, said she was impressed by the large turnout at the debate and appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the candidates, though she was disappointed that Dexter Fisher could not attend. She said the moderators asked thoughtful questions but wished there had been more discussion on climate change and education.
“It would be interesting to hear a little bit more about … climate change oriented things, and what Athens is currently doing, what the candidates feel like Athens could do to be more of like a climate leader,” Canfield said.
Richard Slatcher, an Athens resident, said he was impressed by the large turnout at the debate and noted the high level of community interest in the election. He said the moderators asked strong questions and that each candidate contributed different perspectives. He added that questions on homelessness, traffic safety and public spending were particularly relevant to Athens.
“The issues that they care about are ones that I care about: education, homelessness, the public projects,” Slatcher said. “I think they all had very different approaches to that, and I’m still sort of trying to figure out what all of their positions are.”
ACC voters will choose their next mayor during the May 2026 election. More information about voter registration and election details is available on the ACC Elections Department website.
