“The Crushers had a very successful first season that featured many special promotions at the stadium,” says six-term Mayor James A. Smith. “Attendance for the season was higher than anticipated by the owners and management. All of this was followed by a fairy tale finish when the team ended their inaugural season by winning the Frontier League Championship for 2009.”

The Crushers are a non-affiliated minor league team in the Frontier League, which features players who are hopeful of catching on with a major league baseball system. The new stadium is just the beginning of the game for Avon economic development plans that are anything but minor league.

Within the recreation complex, the French Creek Family YMCA is scheduled to open in the spring of 2010. It will feature a competitive swimming pool and a “zero entry” pool, both indoors. There will be a fully equipped exercise facility and babysitting services will also be available. The recreation complex is expected to be an economic driver to draw new businesses and activities in the immediate area.

“Interest in further development at the recreation complex is high, so within the next two to three years we are anticipating additional sports related facilities, plus other amenities abutting this area,” Smith says. 

Among the facilities being considered for future phases of the recreation complex are a baseball training center, a volleyball facility, soccer fields, tennis courts and other assorted sports fields.

“This entire project and the surrounding area will bring a unique development to the city that will be unparalleled in the entire state,” the mayor says. “The excitement level being generated has exceeded our expectations.”

New development is in play in other areas of the city as well. Not far from the recreation complex, at the I-90/Route 611 interchange, Community Health Partners, a Lorain County hospital and health system, has purchased 33 acres of vacant land. Plans are being finalized and will be presented to its board of directors for approval. 

On the other side of town the Cleveland Clinic broke ground in November for its new Avon Family Health and Surgery Center located at what will be the future I-90/Nagle Road interchange. The planned 190,000 square foot service center, on 40 acres of land, will include a 24-hour emergency department, a pharmacy, on-site laboratory and conference center. An outpatient surgery center will house four operating rooms, four procedure rooms and have overnight stay capability. The facility will bring 100 new jobs to the city.

“We continue going through the process of obtaining the necessary governmental approvals so construction of the new I-90 interchange can become a reality,” Smith says. “At the present time we expect to start construction in 2012, with completion by the end of 2013.” 

Other development in the city includes the opening of additional stores at Avon Crossings on the northeast corner of Chester Road and Route 83 and the start of commercial construction at City Centre and Heritage Village, both located on Detroit Road. 

Meanwhile, with the start of two new subdivisions Halstead Village, off Stoney Ridge Road and Palmer Village off Detroit Road, west of Jaycox - residential building is picking up once again. Preparing for the city’s new development, Detroit Road has been widened between Route 611 and Route 83 after six years of planning.

“Even though this work caused delays and inconvenience at times, the end result has definitely improved traffic flow and made the downtown area much more attractive,” Smith says.

Other road improvement programs in 2008 and 2009 once again totaled about $1 million each year, paid from the city’s General Fund. 

At the municipal complex on Detroit Road, the Police Department and Post Office were completed. Future plans for the complex include a new City Hall to better service the growing community and a possible outdoor community swimming pool and “splash” zone. 

Other recent projects included the installation of storm sewers on Willow, Jenne and a portion of Nagel roads, along with Case Road intersection improvements.

“In addition to our normal annual road program, the city will reconstruct, improve and resurface Miller Road from State Route 611 to the city’s border at the railroad tracks,” Smith said, adding that two new bridges are scheduled for 2010 – a second bridge to provide access into the recreation complex and the replacement of the bridge leading into Avon Isle.

In the fall of 2009, the city purchased a vacuum truck and began a leaf pick-up program, a new service being provided for our residents at no additional charge. This all comes amidst the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Smith points out.

While other cities have seen their income decline, at the end of the third quarter of 2009, Avon has realized a 12 ½ percent increase, the most of any city in northern Ohio, Smith says. “This has been accomplished through careful planning and cooperation among the various departments.

“The city of Avon has experienced long-term development that keeps it financially stable and keeps our revenue increasing,” the mayor says. “This is being accomplished through careful planning and cooperation among the various departments. Our bond rating of Aa2 by Moody’s is the highest that can be obtained by a city the size of Avon. As Avon continues to grow, its stable financial condition allows us to make the improvements and add the services necessary to keep pace with that growth, benefiting both residents and businesses. We at City Hall constantly strive to maintain and improve upon the quality of life Avon offers.”


The Avon Police Department has 30 full-time police officers, seven dispatchers, an administrative assistant and a Police Maintenance Person. In 2008, the department moved into its new state-of-the-art facility.

“The police station should provide room for many years of growth,” says Chief Paul Romond. “The Police Department has been working on new programs to try to improve our quality of service. Since 2008, the department has revamped the “Kid Print” program. Working in conjunction with the city administration and other city departments, the Police Department has also begun operating ‘Code Red’, which is the reverse 911 system to notify residents of issues which could affect their area.”

In 2008, the Avon Police Department responded to 19,119 calls for service. The department has remained active in the community through its “Kid Print” appearances, the Drug Abuse and Resistance Education (DARE) program, fulfilling neighborhood block party requests, parades and awareness programs focusing on seatbelt safety, aggressive driving and helmet use.

The Avon Fire Department is more diversified than the residents of Avon may realize. Everyone knows that calling 911 will bring emergency services to your door; however, the 28-member department does much more.  It has highly-trained firefighters and paramedics on duty 24 hours a day. The department has branched out into many specialized fields to help better serve the citizens of Avon.

Specialty rescue has become an integral part of the fire service. Members are trained in several areas including dive rescue, swift water, ice, confined space, building collapse, trench and rope/high angle rescue. Avon firefighters are members of the Lorain County Hazmat team, incident management teams and arson investigators.

The department is proud of the many services it provides for the citizens of Avon, such as the senior’s lock box program, CPR classes, child safety seat installation, fire extinguisher classes and Fire Safety Education classes for school children. In 2008, the Fire Department responded to 459 fire calls and 1,516 medical emergencies. 

The Greater Cleveland region has become a hotbed of minor league professional baseball, and with the addition of the Lake Erie Crushers, who played their inaugural season in 2009 at the brand new All Pro Freight Stadium, Avon is right in the thick of the excitement.

Unlike the Lake Erie Captains, who play in Eastlake, and the Akron Aeros, both of which are minor league affiliates of the major league Cleveland Indians, the Crushers are an “unaffiliated” organization in the 12-team Frontier League.

“Most of the players in our league have played in affiliated ball at some level,” explains Jason Vaughan, director of merchandise for the Crushers. “We spotlight players who are trying to work their way to work to Major League Baseball. But we’re not getting the old washed up major leaguers. The maximum age in the Frontier League is 27 years old.”

Since the league started in 1993, 10 to 15 of its players have made it to the major leagues and more than 100 have gone on to play with an affiliated minor league team. In its first season, the Crushers made Avon proud by winning the Frontier League championship.

Vaughan says the Crushers play a 96-game schedule – half of those games at home, drawing an average of 3,000 fans per game. “We like to think that we make an economic impact to the community,” Vaughan says. “We make it a fun experience, with baseball and promotions like Fireworks Fridays, giveaways on Saturdays and Dollar Dog Mondays.” 

The City of Avon and Allied Waste Industries/Republic Disposal cooperate to provide removal of recyclable material for residents who contract with the hauler for refuse removal from the curbside. If Allied Waste is your trash hauler, you will be provided a 68 gallon green recycling container, which will reduce the amount of material you place in your blue refuse container and allow you to be kind to our environment. THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST FOR YOU TO RECYCLE.

You will now earn points each time you recycle! The points are redeemable for discounts with local and national businesses. Contact Allied Waste/Republic Service at 440-458-5191 for information about RecycleBank.  Your recyclables do not have to be separated; simply rinse out food and beverage containers and place them in the green 68 gallon container. They will be emptied at your curbside the same day as your refuse service. 

Acceptable materials for placement in the recycling containers are:

• Plastic Nos. 1 & 2
• Aluminum Cans (no other aluminum is allowed, such as cookware, screen doors, etc.)
• Bi-metal cans, such as soup and tuna cans
• Other paper, such as junk mail, receipts, labels from jars and bottles, office paper, school papers, staples and spirals do not have to be removed (No phone books or hardback books, please)
• Corrugated Cardboard, such as moving boxes, merchandise delivery boxes, clean pizza boxes
• Paperboard, such as shoe boxes, spiral notebooks, paperback books, cereal boxes
• All Glass food bottles and jars (No light bulbs, windows, mirrors, etc.)

There are green and yellow Paper Retriever bins located at every school in Avon and, in addition to taking the same paper that can be placed at the curb, they now take Phone Books!!

Residents can make arrangements to take used motor oil and tires to WalMart on Chester Road by calling their Tire & Lube department at 440-937-4750. There is a 5 gallon daily limit for oil and a fee for tires.

Weekly curbside removal with Allied Waste/republic Services includes yard waste for composting. Residents can put clippings in the traditional trash cans without lids (NOT their automated refuse or recycling containers) or in brown compostable paper bags. They can also tie branches in 4-foot, manageable bundles for removal. Yard waste can also be taken to Kurtz Bros. located at 1180 Miller Road at no charge. Call Kurtz Bros. at 216-986-7033 for information.

If you have questions regarding recycling, or to offer suggestions, or volunteer to help with recycling programs, call Clerk of Council/Recycling Coordinator Ellen Young at 440-937-7821 or send an email to ellen@cityofavon.com.

If you have questions regarding your curbside refuse service, and you contract with Allied Waste/Republic Services, please call them at 440-458-5191.

Expenditure Categories

Security of Persons and Property: Includes the Police Department, Fire Department, EMS Services, Animal Control, Dispatch and Traffic Lighting

Recreation: Includes Parks & Recreation Departments

Community Development: Includes the Building Department, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Community/Economic Development

Basic Utility Services: Includes expenditures for pickup and recycling

Transportation: Includes the Service Department, snow removal and road projects

General Government: The general functions of the City including, but not limited to the Mayor’s Office, City Council Offices, Law Department, Finance Department, Engineering Department, etc.

Distribution of Municipal Expenditures – 2008

City of Avon Property Taxes Property Tax Breakdown 2008 Tax Rates (2009 Bills)