Council approves appropriation changes including $522,000 refund to Cleveland Water and additional senior-center meal funding

Parma City Council adopted Ordinance 156-25 to amend the 2025 permanent appropriations and related measures to reflect several adjustments. Council members and the deputy auditor explained three principal items during the floor discussion. First, Cleveland Water Department paid the Velma Avenue water-line replacement project up front; the project bid came in below estimate. The city must refund Cleveland Water approximately $522,000, representing the difference between the estimated and final amounts for the work. Second, the senior-center meal program has expanded in 2025. The auditor said meal expenditures were approaching budget limits while revenue from fees and donations had outpaced expectations. The council increased meal appropriations by $100,000 and offset part of the need by reducing a transportation line by $45,000, producing a net increase of $55,000 to the meals account to allow timely payments to Western Reserve (a meals vendor) reflected on the post-certification list. Council adopted related transfer and post-certification resolutions to support prompt payment of vendors. The amendments were presented as necessary to ensure sufficient unencumbered appropriations for departmental operations; council passed the measures under suspension of rules.