One of the problems that I had with the issue was that it was the main focus of a special election. Why did it have to be proposed barely 3 or 4 months before the actual election in November? What couldn't wait until then?

What if there were two issues on the ballot, one to renew the existing 1.25 mill and one to raise it to 2 mill? At least the voters would have a choice between:

1. Massive cuts to every part of the city government, with a corresponding tax reduction
2. Minor cuts to city government programs, but no tax increase
3. No cuts to city government programs, but a slight tax increase

I think the people are looking for options...

I absolutely believe passage is critical to this city. When services are compromised, safety is compromised. Not to mention the negative impact on home values and our local businesses. I'll take the thought of passing the levy for paramedics being at my doorstep within the critical minutes of an emergency if any of my family members needs their help. The list above that is on the cutting block would be a shame to lose over....$22.97 more annually per 100k valuation. Our kids deserve it, and this community deserves it.

I believe the city govt/elected officials need to do a much better job of looking at ALL the cost to run the city. For example: even though I have kids in soccer/baseball these programs should be self-funding; do we need a crew of 2-3 city workers driving around on a weekly basis looking for trees/brush to chip; can the misc. programs mentioned become fee based, etc. With this levy and the school levy the collective govt (city, schools) need to first look at streamlining/re-engineering operations, present a business case as to why it is needed and outline the use. All I've seen are the request, whining (by govt and citizens) and threats of bad things to come. I'm open to support both issues but I have not gotten what we citizens and business people do: we re-engineer/reallocate spending and define a end-to-end business case. Also - why are we not looking to combine services with other cities...does each city need all the management overhead and equipment? Where's the leadership with city govt to set-up shared services (IT, management, finance, HR, road maintenance, engineering, etc)?

I agree with Avon Laker1234......I was just in a PTA meeting where Bob Scott was basically threatening and scaring parents by saying the music , arts and PE programs, etc will be cut if the levy is not passed....there is such incredible waste in this school system....how about getting rid of lunch monitors and the like?..he admitted that teacher salaries are about 83%of the budget!...Honors classes at the HS are a joke...and more technology is not the answer...it's just more money. He kept talking about how they save $100,000 a year by going paperless in a lot of ways....it's a start, but more is needed. It all adds up and across the board cuts are needed...AND when there are surplus years, money should not be squandered by adding new programs or entitlements, etc.I am tired of paying for other people's kids to get free lunches, school fees, and ability to play school sports for free!....so all these little incremental taxes/levies add up and we get tired of paying more when we see the mismanagement and waste....the same goes for the paramedic levy....it's just a scare tactic....they need to take a hard look at what really needs to be cut.....but they won't....and we will suffer and pay more for less.

Carol, " Honors classes at the HS are a joke ". Are you trying to say that kids dont benefit from having honor classes available to them for those kids that are lucky enough to have the god given ability, along with their hard work.

I am in total agreement with Jeff's remarks. The special election in August was a waste of taxpayers' money. The paramedic levy should not have been so overreaching. I did vote for the levy in August after considerable thought since I did not approve of the big jump in mills. Why so greedy, folks? You couldn't manage with a smaller increase? I'm afraid both the paramedic and school levies will fail in November due to requesting such large increases.

A few of those items are pretty important, but what is the "Greenbox Program"? What do the "attendant's" do @ Weiss / Veterans Parks?

School Resource / Movies / Summer Concerts probably aren't something local gov't should provide (at least when it comes to giving up Dial-A-Bus / Safety Town.

BTW -- $20k each to Soccer & Baseball -- for what? Seems high or am I just critical?

I'd have more respect if local gov't would come out and say we have cut this and are saving X jobs versus the threatening atmosphere. Focus on bringing businesses here and these items will fix themselves. We're becoming Bay Village and should be Avon when it comes to tax base.

Yes, I know how how the school lunch program works and I should not have included that in my comment...I also happen to know that a lot of the honors classes ARE a joke.....some of them do the same thing as the regular classes but get field trips etc and get a whole point bonus gpa....for no real challenge.....my child's honors English class teacher showed them YouTube videos that have nothing to do with English class and were pretty innappropiate. I know because my kid has some honors and some regular classes. I am not talking about not paying teachers, etc....I am tired of paying for sports and school fees, class fees on top of everything else we have to pay for. Go ahead and approve your levy....They will keep coming back for more and more......

@George Z
The Greenbox is a free supervised craft and activity program designed for children 5-12 years of age. Each Greenbox location is staffed with two attendants who assist participants with the activities.

Greenbox Locations
Eastview School ~ 230 Lear Rd.
Redwood School ~ 32967 Redwood Blvd.
Westview School ~ 155 Moore Rd.
Bleser Park ~ 32800 Electric Blvd.
Belle Road Park ~ 360 Armour Rd.
Sunset Park ~ Division Rd. & Stoneybrook
Overlook Park ~ Oakwood Dr. & Forest Blvd.
Resetar Park ~ 31755 Electric Blvd.
Wedgewood Park ~ Wedgewood & Jaycox

I agree with Avonlaker1234 about the need to look elsewhere to cut costs instead of frightening citizens by cutting safety issues. For example, I have spoken to the Mayor about the cost of the brush chipping service mentioned by Avonlaker1234. There are 2 trucks driving around the city with 2 or 3 workers making numerous stops to pick up twigs and brush. Can you imagine the cost of fuel and the inefficiency of handling services this way? When I lived in other communities residents brought their brush to a central collection point where workers could then either mulch chip or shred. Avon Lake could do that at its site on 83 and save the fuel and wear and tear on the vehicles. This is just one example. Just my 2 cents.

The financial crisis we are in, as a country, is because government is full of fools who only know how to negotiate upward — with your tax money!

How broke is America, while we’re giving out raises to teachers? Well, in Cook County (Chicago) the Treasurer recently reported that the debt is $108 billion. Most of that is for pensions for overpaid government employees: $108 billion in one county, in one city. In particular, the Chicago school district faces a $700 million deficit.

Yet the debate was over how much of a raise to give Chicago teachers? This teacher strike is exhibit A for everything wrong with government.
Remember, this strike was about failing employees who are paid an average of $71,000 per year, plus gold-plated healthcare packages, plus $2.4 million per teacher in taxpayer-funded retirement packages.

Yes, I said each teacher gets $2.4 million in retirement. Each.
[The above is from Wayne Allyn Root writing for Personal Liberty Digest]

Victor please for the sake of the children tell the truth. Wayne allyn root is a complete nut. 2.4 million dollar retirement all as a tax burden to poor you. I think you are even nuttier for believing his hogwash. I never met you but after reading your comments the name victor and mooney immediately bring to mind looney. I think ill call you victor looney. Takenthe foil off and scratch your head once in awhile.

Whoever suggested sharing emergency services is nuts. Do you really not want to have local police, fire, and ambulance available? Think how much more time it would take to answer a call if they had to come from another town? They are already working on outsourcing or sharing the call center. These people do a lot to keep us safe and we should be grateful. Additionally, many of these people you want to cut live in Avon Lake, let's support our community! I don't want Avon Lake to turn into the City of Cleveland, where when I had a car accident and the other driver was threatening me they absolutely refused to send an officer, after many phone calls and cries for help I ended up having a fire truck sent to help me fend off the crazy man.

Another question I had... regarding these levies based on millage, I understand that revenue has decreased due to depressed property values over the last several years. What happens when property values return to their previously high levels? I assume the levies will not be decreased if or when the then-current millage rate is providing excess funds?

If these funds are being pulled from the general fund, I would guess that any excess will just be shifted to other projects?

This levy is billed as the "paramedic levy" but has:

Crossing guards
Park attendants at Veterans Park and Weiss Field
Greenbox program
Dog warden
School Resource Office
Grant program ($20,000 each to soccer and baseball and a contribution to the swim team)
Dial-A-Bus (transportation for elderly who have no way to get to appointments)
Safety Town
Movies Under the Stars
Summer Concert Series

The debate basically boils down to would we rather have the above list or more paramedic's? I can live w/o all of those items versus the alternative. Cut those items and come to us when something important is needed (which the debatable exceptions of the bus // dog warden).

I don't want to be Cleveland, but it's OK to say "no" every once in a while. I do with my personal spending - they can also.

@Jeff I understand, but if they are threatening to cut this list of programs in order to keep paramedic services at the current level in the event the levy fails, then I'm surprised the vote was even as close as it was. I think most would agree that this list includes several items that "we could do without if we had to" with a few exceptions. Many of these can be brought back at any time if things happen to improve. Like I would NOT want to cut cable tv in my house, but if I lost my income? It would definitely be on the list of cuts along with other things that I enjoy having. Like I said, I am pro-Avon Lake and almost feel like it's "bragging" to say I live here, and I want to keep it as great as possible, including help pay for it. But sometimes things are tight and cuts need to be made. I'll have to really think about this one, especially because I will ALWAYS favor schools if I have to choose.

Regarding the original post about why putting it into a special election....I have a hunch that they know the November election will have an overwhelming turnout because it's a Presidential election year. Who shows up to vote for primaries and mid-year elections? Elderly folks and people who are home or around town during the day anyway. Those are the people who will more likely pass that levy the way it's been presented.

I also love how they are hurting for money when the Avon Lake Police just got new cop cars that really was not needed as well has everything light on the new school garage in Pin Oak road.. There are different ways of saving and cutting!

Let me see, since Zilka has come on board as the city's mayor, we have had to take on the trash subsidy, paid for 2 special elections, have asked for school bond levy, and a paramedic levy. Who knows how many businesses have left and the strip malls vacant, GenOn is leaving in 2015 and all he does is send a city councilman to Washington to try to keep this decrepit plant afloat. Where are the positive, pro-growth initiatives for this city! Avon is prospering above any other township in the Cleveland area; let's seriously take a look at what they're doing right. They're proactive in their small business management. It's a shame that all the elected officials in Avon Lake know how to do is tax the citizens to death! This city is going to turn into a city like Lorain before long with all the empty lots, but I'll move to Avon before that happens! We've got a lakefront with the potential to do something enormous when GenOn leaves--call Donald Trump! Think outside your little box!

All these flagged inappropriate comments, teachers are off all summer getting paid have them man the green boxs, pick up leaves ect ect

I just thought it would they would like something to do when they are home all summer they are getting a full years salary