Avon Schools is Raising Taxes by 29%

“Our taxes are going to go up 29%.”

Don’t believe the chatter. This fall, the Avon Board of School Trustees is asking voters to approve a maximum tax rate that is $0.02 below what voters approved in 2018.

Approving the referendum renewal will not raise your taxes by 29%—in fact, the referendum renewal actually lowers the current tax rate.

Some community members have noticed confusing ballot language suggesting a “29% increase” in property taxes. Let’s clear this up: approving the referendum renewal will not raise your taxes by 29%—in fact, the referendum renewal actually lowers the current tax rate.

Here are the facts:

• Avon’s current referendum tax rate is $0.35.

• The renewal on the ballot this fall reduces that rate to $0.33.

• That means the new rate is lower than what taxpayers are paying today.

So why does the ballot use the word ‘increase’ four times and percentages like 29% and 24%? Indiana law requires referendum questions to use this standard language, regardless of local circumstances. The wording assumes that Avon has no referendum in place now — which is not true. Because Avon already has a referendum, approving the renewal is actually a reduction, not an increase. Also, Avon Community School Corporation has demonstrated responsible stewardship of referendum tax dollars by never applying the full tax rate allowable over the past 7 years. 

👉 Watch Dr. Scott Wyndham, Superintendent of Avon Schools, explain the ballot language and how this referendum renewal actually reduces the maximum allowable tax rate: Understanding the Referendum Question

In short: voting “yes” this November continues critical support for Avon schools while keeping your tax rate lower than it is today. The confusing ballot wording may sound alarming, but the reality is simple: this referendum renewal responsibly reduces the maximum tax rate for our community.