Where the Money Goes: A Look at Avon's Tax Expenditures

Most people aren’t thrilled about paying taxes, but without them, the everyday services we rely on wouldn’t exist. From waking up to cleared roads after a night of snow, to knowing an ambulance will arrive quickly in an emergency — these are all made possible through tax dollars. A substantial share of property taxes supports the Avon Local School District, while nearly one-fifth helps fund Lorain County services including the sheriff’s office and the county courts.  Following the approval of the Income Tax Increase in May 2025, the City will eliminate the three safety levies effective January 2026.  This will lead to a slight reduction in property taxes for Avon homeowners.

Avon Finance Director Steve Presley explains it this way: “As a city, for calendar year 2025, we received roughly 8.89% of the property tax collected from Avon residents. The rest is distributed to the schools, the county, and other agencies. This 8.89% will be reduced to approximately 7.18% once the reduction in the paragraph above takes place.”  The city’s other major revenue source is the municipal income tax — the 1.95% collected from individuals who work within Avon. Residents who work in a municipality with a lower income tax rate pay the difference to Avon. Together, these two funding streams make possible nearly all city services, from police and fire protection to leaf collection, stormwater management, and the daily operations at City Hall. In short, they ensure the essential functions residents expect from their local government.