Avon joins Lorain County’s push for urban county designation

By Rodger Roeser, special to cleveland.comAVON, Ohio --City Council has voted to join Lorain County’s push for federal urban county designation.It’s a move local officials say could reshape how millions of dollars in community development funding flow into the region over the next three years.City Council approved the measure during a special evening session Monday (Aug. 3), authorizing the city to enter a cooperative agreement with Lorain County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The decision positions Avon alongside other municipalities seeking to participate in the county’s application for the 2027–29 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) cycle.Urban County status would allow Lorain County to receive CDBG funds directly from HUD rather than through the State of Ohio.It’s a shift county leaders say could triple or even quadruple the amount of federal money available for housing, infrastructure and neighborhood revitalization projects. The designation is available to counties with more than 200,000 residents living outside of their largest cities -- a threshold Lorain County surpassed following recent population growth in suburban communities.Avon officials said the change could open the door to expanded grant opportunities for road improvements, stormwater upgrades, senior services and accessibility projects. Under the cooperative agreement, participating cities must commit to the program for the full three‑year cycle and coordinate project planning with the county.Lorain County must submit all municipal agreements to HUD by Aug. 10. Federal officials are expected to review the application through early fall, with formal notification anticipated in October.City leaders said Avon’s approval strengthens the county’s bid and signals regional support for a more streamlined, locally controlled approach to distributing federal development dollars.Read more from the Sun Sentinel.