Avon Lake Seeks $33M Tax Hike Without Specific Project List | The Locally Times
A proposed 0.4% income tax increase on the May 5 ballot would raise $6.6 million annually for five years, but city officials have not released a list of specific projects.
Avon Lake residents will decide on May 5, 2026, whether to approve a temporary 0.4% income tax increase. The measure, certified for the ballot by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on February 17, 2026, would generate approximately $6.6 million in new annual revenue. If passed, the city’s municipal income tax rate would rise from 1.5% to 1.9% for five years. City documents state the new funds are designated for road and capital improvement needs. However, public records do not contain minutes, attendance details, or a summary of questions and answers from that session, leaving a gap in the public understanding of resident concerns and official responses. ## A $33 Million Request Without a Plan Over its five-year lifespan, the proposed 0.4% tax increase is projected to generate a total of approximately $33 million. While the city has identified the general category for the funds, its public notices do not include an itemized list of specific projects. The documents do not specify which roads are prioritized for repair, which capital improvements are slated for construction, or how the $6.6 million in annual revenue would be allocated. Without a project list, voters cannot assess the direct impact of the new revenue on their neighborhoods or daily commutes. Records do not indicate if or when a detailed project list will be made available to the public before the May 5 election. ## A Contradictory Financial Picture Avon Lake’s request for a tax increase comes shortly after the city received national recognition for its financial practices. A city news release announced that the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded Avon Lake a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The GFOA award suggests the city adheres to high standards of transparency, yet it is asking for a $6.6 million annual revenue increase to fund basic infrastructure without a detailed public spending plan. The documents provided by the city do not include a financial analysis to reconcile these points. There is no public record detailing what alternative funding mechanisms, such as budget reallocations or debt instruments, were considered before proposing a direct tax. The justification for why a 0.4% increase is the necessary solution, as opposed to other financial strategies, has not been outlined in the city’s public announcements. ## The Five-Year Horizon The proposed tax is structured with a five-year sunset clause, meaning it will automatically expire in 2031 unless city officials and voters act to extend it. This temporary framework ensures a future review of the city’s infrastructure funding. However, public records do not outline a long-term financial strategy for road and capital improvements beyond this five-year window. The documents do not address the sustainability of the infrastructure program. For example, they do not state whether the projects funded by the tax will require ongoing maintenance costs that outlast the revenue stream, or whether the city anticipates seeking a renewal of the tax. As the election approaches, the city is asking voters to grant a temporary increase in taxing authority based on a broad mandate for infrastructure, without providing specific project details or a long-term financial strategy.