Avon Lake Council approves Sandridge Run and Harbor Crest TIF districts
12/18/2025 – Avon Lake, Ohio – At its meeting held on December 15, 2025, Avon Lake City Council voted to approve an ordinance to create tax increment financing incentive (TIF) districts relating to the new Sandridge Run and Harbor Crest residential subdivisions currently under construction along Avon Belden Road near the Walker Road intersection. The two subdivisions will add approximately 101 single-family homes to the city, placing additional demand on public infrastructure.
By establishing TIF districts, the City seeks to make necessary improvements to the roadways, water and sanitary sewer systems, sidewalks, and other infrastructure located within the one (1) mile of the Sandridge Run and Harbor Crest subdivisions. “Tax increment financing is not uncommon in Ohio, but it is new territory for us in Avon Lake,” said Mayor Mark Spaetzel. “The City is committed to building and maintaining a modern infrastructure. In this
challenging economic environment, we have to be creative, recognize opportunities, and make smart investments to keep our City moving forward. TIF is an innovative way for us to bridge the funding gap and make necessary
improvements within the project area.”
The main idea behind TIF is to use future taxes generated by a new development to pay for the public infrastructure that made the new development possible in the first place. In Ohio, local governments are allowed to designate TIF areas in connection with new developments under the Ohio Revised Code (ORC). There are approximately 2,500 active TIFs statewide according to the Ohio Department of Development (reference: https://data.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/data/view/tax-increment-financing-_tif_-company-tax-incentives).
“It is important to understand that these TIF districts are not tax increases on residents and do not take away funding from our schools nor provide any funds to the developer,” said Mayor Spaetzel. “TIF is simply a method of capturing future tax revenue increases from new development to pay for public infrastructure improvements in a specific area. It is a financially prudent strategy that allows us to invest in Avon Lake’s future without asking
current taxpayers to foot the bill for new growth.”
