Parma Faces Financial Challenges In 2015

Parma, like many cities, faces serious budgetary challenges heading into 2015. While we have known this was coming and it's not surprising, this will be one of the most difficult budgets in decades. For a few years now, our administration has felt the impact of budget cuts from Columbus. Indeed, in the last four years, the state has cut an estimated $413 million each year for municipalities and villages through reductions in the Local Government Fund, the repeal of the estate tax, and other changes, according to Innovation Ohio, a Columbus-based policy group.

That has meant millions in lost revenue for Parma, a challenge our administration, working with Parma City Council, has confronted by doing more with less. We have saved close to $1 million in each of the last two years by introducing automated trash collection in the city. The city also has sought long-term cost savings through regional collaborations with Cuyahoga County and our neighboring cities.

However, this year, we will face the fullest effect of the state cuts. For example, we no longer have those revenues to absorb the unexpected loss of Graf Tech from our business community. No doubt this, and other examples, presents our administration and City Council with an extremely difficult challenge this year.

That's one of the reasons we have begun our budget process months earlier this year than usual. I have asked all directors to start with a zero-based budget this year and to include only absolutely necessary services in their budget requests. We are all looking for ways to save and to make what we have go further.

Last year, the administration and City Council were able to balance a difficult budget using almost a half-million dollars' worth of one-time funds, such as the proceeds from selling a city owned building. This year, we don't have that as an option.

Our goal is to succeed in passing a balanced budget on time, but also to minimize the impact services for our residents. We are working very hard to piece together a budget that has been considered very carefully for all its options.

Even while the budgetary challenges are ongoing, we do have things to look forward to here in Parma as we head into the new year of 2015. We've all seen the signs of progress across the street from City Hall at The Shoppes at Parma project. This continues to intrigue as we all look forward to all the possibilities that new development can bring.

Hand in hand with that, the Mayor's Town Center Task Force completed a year's worth of work with the issuance of its Town Center Task Force report. Implementing those ideas and suggestions is a challenge we look forward to; realizing the completion of the Town Center project will bring a whole new look and feel to our city. To read the report, go to our city website at www.cityofparma-oh.gov.

This past year in 2014 , we saw other progress to our city as well. We partnered with Cleveland Crops and the West Creek Conservancy to make an actual working farm at our Stearns Farm property. We welcomed Rush Trucking and Pitt Ohio to our manufacturing community, and closer to home, we created and implemented our Good Neighbor Pride Awards that recognized homeowners who care for and take pride in their homes and property.

So while we are working on the challenges that face us as a city, we are also cognizant of those things which will move Parma forward. I am proud to serve as Mayor of Parma, the state's seventh-largest city, and our administration is working hard to continue making it a city that you are proud to call home.

Timothy J. DeGeeter

Mayor of Parma

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Volume 7, Issue 1, Posted 8:32 AM, 01.05.2015