Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks delivered his 2025 State of the City Address to a sold-out crowd of local residents, community leaders and elected officials at Carter Gymnasium at Athens State University on Tuesday, March 4.

The annual event, hosted by the Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce, was unlike past years as it took on a new format that featured a Q&A style address — which was moderated by Chamber President Pammie Jimmar. She was the one who approached Marks with the idea of the more informal “fireside chat” that offered a more personable, candid conversation.

“Mayor (Marks) talked a lot about collaboration, because in our community — collaboration is key,” Jimmar told The News Courier after the event concluded. “Everyone here works so well together to get things done in our community. Our town is one amazing town to live in, and one amazing town for visitors to come and enjoy as well. We want to be able to build upon that great foundation that has already been laid for us.”

Marks used each question to update the community on the city’s progress, touching on a wide-range of topics that showcased Athens’ continued growth and development. From public safety expansion, infrastructure improvements and economic development initiatives, Marks took the time to outline the city’s future plans in each of his answers.

“I wanted the community to know about some of the things we are working on, but most importantly I wanted them to see the passion and energy level we have here in Athens,” Marks said. “We have a lot of great things ahead of us, we have so many opportunities, but we also have some challenges we need to address as well.”

One of the key areas of focus for Marks was quality of life projects that stemmed from the immense growth that the city has seen in recent years. From the need for better roadways to handle the increase in traffic, to the need for more parking spaces and open restrooms in downtown Athens — Marks mentioned how these problems are the results of positives for the city in his address.

He also highlighted the work of Tere Richardson, executive director of Athens Main Street, for her work to revitalize downtown Athens into a bright spot for the city to utilize to keep shoppers within the city’s limits. Marks also stressed the importance of spending money locally, emphasizing that one of the best ways to contribute to the city is with local sales tax.

“I’ve traveled all over the state in my work with the league of municipalities, and I’ve seen plenty of downtown areas that are empty,” Marks said. “There are a lot of towns that can’t make payroll. We are truly blessed to be in the situation we are in now. What we do to make this a vibrant community will only continue.”

In addition to downtown developments, Marks talked about Athens’ commitment to public safety — with the introduction of the P-25 communications system and utility upgrades — education and community engagement.  Marks also noted that with the city’s rich history, charming downtown area and strong sense of community with its residents, Athens is poised for a fervent future.

“We have a lot to look forward to as we move forward,” Marsk said. “Pooling our money together to make different projects work will be vital. Our budget and finances are great right now. We have more and more retail and dining options popping up. I think we will only have more and more opportunities for our people to use in the future. We are all in this together. We are all trying to do our best to keep our city moving forward.”