Avon Lake Touts Financial Award, Seeks $6.6M Tax Hike | The Locally Times
Avon Lake announced a national award for its 2023 financial report while promoting a May 5 ballot measure to raise $6.6 million via a 0.4% income tax increase.
## City Receives Financial Reporting Award The City of Avon Lake has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The GFOA is a professional association for public finance officials, and its Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The city’s announcement does not detail the specific criteria the 2023 report met to earn the award, nor does it state whether this is a recurring achievement for Avon Lake. ## Tax Increase Proposed for May Ballot In the same series of public announcements, the City of Avon Lake detailed a proposal for an additional 0.4% municipal income tax, scheduled for the May 5, 2026, primary election ballot. According to the city’s website, the tax increase would be in effect for a five-year period. If voters approve the measure, the city’s income tax rate would adjust from 1.5% to 1.9%. City records project the 0.4% increase will generate approximately $6.6 million in new revenue. However, documents available on the city’s website do not explicitly connect the findings of the award-winning 2023 ACFR to the capital needs cited as justification for the proposed tax hike. Public records do not specify whether the financial conditions requiring an additional $6.6 million for future projects were detailed in the 2023 report that earned the GFOA award.