An Athens city councilman said this weekend that he will propose developing a 50-acre tract of land the city and county owns in south Athens as the site of a new city cemetery.

Councilman Harold Wales said he will ask the council at its next meeting on Aug. 14 to look into converting that property into a cemetery rather than raise the rates for cemetery plots and other cemetery services.

“The only logic they have given me to raise the rates is that we are going to need the extra money in seven to 10 years to purchase property for another cemetery because we are running out of space,” Wales said. “I don’t think we should increase our rates for something that is 10 years down the road.”

But Council President Ronnie Marks said this weekend the reason the city is running out of cemetery space is because residents outside the city are coming to Athens and buying cemetery lots because they are so cheap.

“We’re not trying to gouge the citizens, but we need more revenue to stay in the cemetery business,” Marks said.

Wales says the city and county own the 50 acres located on the west side of U.S. 31 South near where the old Smitty and Joe’s restaurant once stood. That property, now used for dirt, has sat vacant for years, he said.

“My suggestion is that we should start developing it and use it,” he said. “I think we need to talk to the county and work something out.”

Councilmen heard proposals at a Monday night meeting to increase the fees for cemetery lots and for opening and closing graves.

The charge to open and close a grave is now $175 before 3 p.m. and $200 on weekends and after 3 p.m. For cremations and babies, the cost is $87.50 before 3 p.m. and $100 on weekends and after 3 p.m.

Fees would go to $400 for adult graves and $200 for infant graves and cremations. Infants are babies under age 2.

If approved, a lot of eight in the city would increase from $2,000 to $3,000; a lot of four would go up from$1,000 to $1,500; and a lot of two would go from $500 to $750.

Wales said at least one other councilman has told him he would support the move to develop the U.S. 31 South property rather than go up on rates.

Councilman Johnny Crutcher supports the rate hike because he said it has been years since the city raised the rates. He said the Athens cemetery rates are well below those at neighboring cities.

In Limestone County, it costs between $$700 to $900 to open and close a grave and on average of $500 to $600 per lot.

In 2005, Athens had 221 burials in city cemeteries compared to 227 in 2004. Records show there have been 210 burials in city cemeteries this year.

The Athens City Cemetery has no more lots available and space at Roselawn Cemetery is expected to be filled to capacity in seven years.

Marks said if the council decides to increase the rates, he would like for it not to take effect until the new fiscal year which begins Oct. 1.

“I don’t want us to pass an increase on the people unless we have to,” Wales said. “We just recently increased the garbage rates over a 10-year period, increased the water rates by two percent and went up by five percent on electric rates.