12 April 2011

Road Tax Plan in Avon Similar to Taxing to Pave Local Roads in 1920s

This morning's Cleveland Plain Dealer (12 Apr 2011) has an article about how the city of Avon in Lorain County plans to tax local landowners to finance the building of an interchange on I-90 at Nagel Road. The tax plan is based on the theory is that these landowners will benefit from a boost in land values when the interchange is completed. The article reports that many of these landowners are against the tax plan.

This reminds me of the situation in Brecksville in the 1920s when Route 21 was being paved for the first time. Landowners along the route and on cross roads within a certain distance from Route 21 were taxed to pay for the project. It worked a hardship on farmers in the area, and some lost their land in sheriff's sales when they couldn't afford to pay the taxes.

Knowing about the Brecksville situation of many decades ago comes from research I did on a farm family in the area. It's another example of how looking into family history helps you understand the history of an area.

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