Former Mayor: Financial Calamity? Maybe not

Editor's note: KC Zuber is the former mayor of Avon Lake.

To the Editor:

It seems not a week goes by and there is another article about the City of Avon Lake and its financial woes.

This is a little perplexing to me when the Avon Lake City Council in 2011 and 2010 raided the “rainy day fund,” a combination of the unencumbered cash reserves of the general fund and income tax transfer fund.  Avon Lake City Council took from the “rainy day fund” over $850,000 in 2011 and $500,000 in 2010 to pave roads.  City Council did this over the objection of the mayor at that time and knowing the State of Ohio would be making tremendous cuts in local government funding.

Even with these excessive expenditures, the City of Avon Lake ended 2011 with $5.8 million in the “rainy day fund.”  The City of Avon Lake’s own budget projects $3.85 million in the “rainy day fund” at the end of 2012.

 Through the first 10 months of this year income tax receipts are up over $418,000 from 2011 and $600,000 ahead of budgeted income tax receipts.  Add another $320,000 because Avon Lake City Council ended the trash subsidy and the City of Avon Lake should realize about $1 million more this year.  This new revenue will increase the “rainy day fund” to in excess of $4.5 million by the end of 2012.

Is the City of Avon Lake on the verge of financial calamity? I think not, but I’m an optimist. It is up to you to make that decision.

KC Zuber

Avon Lake