Welcome to the Village of Moreland Hills Site

A Message from Mayor Susan C. Renda 

Dear Resident,

 

Due to changes in funding for local governments by the state of Ohio, the Village’s revenue has declined over the past few years.  As a result, our budget has shifted from a surplus to a deficit. The Village has compensated for this deficit by cutting costs and drawing from our reserves.  We are now at a point, however, where we can neither further cut costs without sacrificing services nor continue to prudently draw down our reserves.  Therefore, at its April 11 meeting, the Village Council voted to ask residents to increase the Village Police & Fire Levy.

 

The Police & Fire Levy is a separate funding source dedicated solely to ensuring that our residents receive high quality safety services. It funds Police, Fire, EMS and Dispatch operations exclusively. Village policy has always been to supplement these funds with monies from the general fund. Over time, however, we have become increasingly reliant on the general fund to fill the gap between revenues and expenses. The current Police & Fire Levy Fund generates just 35% of the safety services budget. The remaining 65% of the budget is covered through transfers from the general fund. This level of subsidy is unsustainable in light of reduced funding from the state combined with the continuing need to fund the maintenance of our infrastructure including roads, sewers, and equipment. Resetting the safety services funding to more appropriate levels will ensure continued excellent safety services regardless of challenges caused by further changes in state funding.

 

Our annual safety budget of $2.2 million gives the Police Department essential funds to continue providing the first-rate services relied on by our residents. It also pays for the EMS and Fire services provided to the Village by the Chagrin Falls Volunteer Fire Department. The current Police & Fire Levy, of three mills, garners only $774,000 in revenue annually, as compared to the $2.2 million in annual expenses.

 

Over the last several years the State of Ohio has continuously cut funds to local communities, including Moreland Hills. For example, between 2003 and 2016 Local Government Fund revenues paid to the Village were reduced from $89,193 to $22,137, a reduction of 75%. Furthermore, the state completely eliminated estate taxes in 2013 which reduced Village revenues by an average of $262,863 per year. As a result, Village expenditures exceeded revenues by an average of roughly $392,000 in three of the four years between 2014 and 2017.  Continued...