On January 17, 2024, the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas dissolved an injunction that erroneously had been entered against the City of Avon Lake and dismissed the Plaintiff’s Complaint, with prejudice, at Plaintiff’s cost.

This Order concluded a long battle, including the reversal by the Court of Appeals of the injunction, over whether the City of Avon Lake’s Charter provisions and home rule authority prevailed over state law in the selection and contracting process for renovating a local playground, the Avon Lake Play Space. The victory is a significant reaffirmation of home rule authority and the ability of a Charter City to govern its own local concerns.

The victory for the City of Avon Lake was made possible through the collective efforts of the SSEG trial and appellate teams led by Gary A. Ebert (Law Director for the City of Avon Lake), Keith A. Savidge, Daniel F. Gourash, Jeffrey S. Moeller, and Amelia J. Leonard. SSEG is proud of the hard work that went into reaching this just and proper result.

Special thanks is also given to the Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association for submitting an amicus curiae brief in support of the City of Avon Lake’s exercise of its home rule authority.