Election DayTuesday, November 3
Avon Lake voters decide today whether to raise income tax 0.4% for road repairs
The 5AM Lorain team
If you live or work in Avon Lake, Issue 16 is on your ballot today. It would add 0.4% to the city's 1.5% income tax rate for six years, and the city expects it to raise about $6 million.
Council President Geoffrey Smith said some roads are more than 50 years old. The city has $40 million worth of road repair work to do, he said, but rising material costs have only let it maintain roads, not repair them. The city hasn't allocated money for next year's road repairs while it waits on Issue 16.
Avon Lake's road repair backlog is far bigger than Issue 16's $6 million
Source: News 5 Cleveland WEWS
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Road repair work needed | $40 million |
| Issue 16 would raise, about | $6 million |
- Rate: 0.4% added to the current 1.5%, for six years
- Who pays: anyone who lives or works in Avon Lake
- Cost: $400 more a year on $100,000 in earnings
- Exempt: Social Security and pensions
About 70% of the money would go to road repairs. The rest would cover other capital needs, including new storm sewers, traffic signals and equipment for city departments.
Sources: News 5 Cleveland WEWS, cleveland19.com