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CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH—At the March 17 City Council meeting, Council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 011-2025, introduced by Mayor Kahlil Seren. This ordinance sets forth a 2025 budget and repeals the temporary 3-month budget Council adopted on December 16, 2024.
With a 6-0 vote in favor (with Council VP Russell an excused absence), the City ordinance sets the level of appropriations for expected expenditures of the City of Cleveland Heights at $105,078,576 for the fiscal year starting on January 1, 2025, and ending December 31, 2025.
Cleveland Heights’ appropriations, or the total amount the city will transfer into each fund, include $58,201,729 for the General Fund, which covers 44 general categories, including Fire, Police, Planning & Development, Municipal Court, Parks and Recreation, and more. The General Fund pays salaries and expenses to operate programs from the ice rink, swimming pool, housing inspections, garbage collectors, street pavers, and vehicle repair crews to planners who review permits and provide housing repair services.
“2025 is about looking forward and building,” said Mayor Seren. “I’d like to thank the Finance Department, including Willy [Felts], Rodney [Hairston], Donna [Fisher], Laurie [Newshutz] and Earline [Robinson]. And I’d like to thank Council. It has been a difficult process, but I respect the role Council plays, and the requests on appropriations have been fairly considered.”
In addition, the City maintains a balance of $70 million from the 2024 fiscal year, including $27 million in the General Fund. Some $5 million of the City’s surplus will be tapped to support programs in the 2025 budget, including road repaving projects on Taylor Road, Monticello, and Meadowbrook boulevards, in addition to a $2.45 million appropriation for road resurfacing and traffic calming measures.
The City’s budget includes services for longstanding programs such as:
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$2.8 million for the City’s Community Development Block Grants, which serve the housing and development needs of low-to-moderate income households, including home repair grants, sidewalk and driveway repairs, lead abatement, and more that the U.S. Housing and Urban Department of Development fully reimburses.
- The city’s Office on Aging will receive $40,531
- The Economic Development Department will receive $1,487,397 to facilitate programs including, vacant property redevelopment.
- The City’s Home Program, administered by the Planning, Neighborhoods, and Development Department to repair homes for low-to-moderate income homeowners in Cleveland Heights, will receive $624,500.
- Cain Park will receive its full funding of $1,819,019 to operate the city’s arts park and venue in the 2025 season
- The City’s Parks Maintenance will receive $1.278 million, including $1,035,000 for capital improvements.
“I want to thank everyone who contributed to this process positively,” the Mayor said.
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