Euclid is considering a special tax district to pay for a multi-use trail

EUCLID, Ohio – The Euclid City Council is considering creating a special tax district to fund a park-to-park trail and other improvements along Euclid Avenue.

Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer-Gail introduced legislation regarding the potential project during the city’s most recent council meeting.

Her efforts could help the city pay for the off-road trail that will connect Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation to Euclid’s Hero Park.

“We plan to build a multi-use path along Euclid Avenue, which would essentially be a 10-foot wide path in place of the sidewalk along the south side of Euclid Avenue,” Holzheimer-Gail explained. “It is in line with our Euclid Avenue Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative Plan. It also connects very well to the Metro Parks Greenway trail connections, which are working to connect Euclid Creek Park to Euclid Beach Park. It fits really well with a number of other planned improvements.”

The project is estimated to cost $1.8 million.

To fund part of this idea, a tax increase would be imposed on landowners from the NEO Sports Park to the Heritage Business Park, which includes Eaton Aerospace.

However, that does not mean a new tax bill.

“It actually reflects the higher taxes paid as your values ​​increase. So the property values ​​are set this year and as the values ​​increase, the additional taxes you have to pay because of the increase in property values ​​are moved into a separate fund that is only used for improvements in the area,” Holzheimer said. -Gail stated.

The portion of property taxes that go to Euclid City Schools will not be affected, according to Holzheimer-Gail.

“It is an exciting project that will help us achieve our mission and our vision to ensure that you can remain as a strong community. We are pleased to continue connecting project by project across the city,” she added.

Currently, the properties in the proposed district are largely commercial. It does include a handful of homes and an apartment complex.

The tax increase will last thirty years.

“It will be a piece that helps us get there. Many of the projects we undertake use multiple sources of funding. We are fortunate to be a block grant community. We get our own funding for the community development block. I imagine we will work with the county and the state and apply for funding in many ways to make this happen,” Holzheimer-Gail said.

Holzheimer-Gail said the 30-year tax increase could be used for more than just the multi-use trail.

The legislation indicates it can be used for a wide range of improvements, including but not limited to curbs, sanitary sewers and parking facilities.

If the legislation passes, Holzheimer-Gail said the goal is to move forward with the project in 2025.

The ordinance is in its early stages and the next step in the process is a committee hearing to discuss the finer details, scheduled for Oct. 30.