Athens County treasurer candidate Taylor Sappington says he wants to bring more equity to taxation
By: Haley Richardson
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — In a contentious election cycle, Democrat Taylor Sappington says he brings hope and optimism into his race for Athens County treasurer.
Public service runs deep in Sappington’s family. His mother was a union organizer in the 1980s, and her belief in putting in the work to help people struck a chord with him.
“I really look up to one of my heroes, which is my mother, and she had a strong belief in, not just in public service, but in sticking up for and defending working folks,” he said.
Born and raised in Nelsonville, Sappington has been a public servant in his community for the past nine years. He served a four-year term on the Nelsonville City Council from 2015 to 2019 before being elected Nelsonville City auditor in 2019. He also ran for Ohio auditor of state in 2022 but lost to incumbent Republican Keith Faber.
Sappington said his time as an elected official has been invaluable.
“I learned that I wasn’t always right, and I needed to start listening more and talking less,” he said. “When you’re in this giant web of bureaucracy and structure, it can be difficult to differentiate yourself and take successful steps forward.”
The treasurer handles the county’s money and holds seats on multiple boards, such as the Board of Revision, which handles tax and penalty appeals, and the Budget Commission.
When it comes to policy, Sappington wants to focus on making the treasurer’s office more equitable – especially when it comes to tax collection.
“I don’t believe in a system where some folks pay and others don’t lift their weight,” he said.
He plans to do this by ensuring delinquent taxes are collected, which he understands is an important but difficult task.
“It’s not a popular job, but done well and done with good customer service, I’m confident that we can make Athens County taxpayers’ lives better,” Sappington said.
Beyond policy, if elected Sappington wants to make sure his constituents feel heard, while still getting advice they need to hear, even if it is not their desired outcome.
“When I think of something like the Board of Revision, or I think about my years here in City Hall, when you’re dealing with taxation, … there’s a lot of questions that folks have, … and they would really like the answer that maybe saves them more money or time,” he said. “But what I think is an important role for a public official like myself, is to be a good facilitator, but especially to be an honest facilitator. They might want that $100 off their taxes right now, but maybe this the code or the statute doesn’t allow that.”
Sappington is running against independent write-in candidate Dawn Deputy. The winner will take office September 2025.