Parma council adopts 2025 budget after multi-month review; auditors cite roughly 8% increase over 2024

Parma City Council on Tuesday night adopted Ordinance 142-24, the city’s 2025 appropriations ordinance, after a multi-month budget review process and committee hearings.

The measure passed on a unanimous roll-call vote after the city auditor and treasurer briefed council on revenue and expense projections. Auditor Brian Day said the changes presented since council’s last hearing left the city with a general fund balance of about $76.0 million — “about an 8% increase over last year,” he said — and described the overall package as “fiscally responsible.” Treasurer Thomas Mastriani told council staff had projected income tax receipts to be essentially flat given economic uncertainty, including tariff concerns and some employees returning to downtown work locations.

The mayor thanked department heads and council for the collaborative process. “A budget is a working, breathing document and is a shared value of our priorities for the city,” the mayor said, adding the package funds public safety, streets and parks. Council members also praised the process; Finance Chair Cammie Schuman moved the measure onto third reading under suspension of the rules before final passage.

Key details and staff comments - Treasurer Thomas Mastriani said city contacts with large local taxpayers and banks led the administration to project income tax receipts as flat for 2025; he recommended revisiting the estimate midyear. (Treasurer Thomas Mastriani: remarks summarized from the March 18 meeting.) - Auditor Brian Day said staff accounted for anticipated retroactive pay and benefit costs tied to recent contract settlements and added approximately $250,000 to a chronic nuisance fund. Day described the budget as reasonable given contracts, inflation and operational needs. - The mayor emphasized the budget’s priorities for public safety and infrastructure and noted use of ARPA dollars for continued sustainability planning.

Votes and next steps Ordinance 142-24 was adopted on March 18, 2025. The motion to adopt was made by Councilwoman Cammie Schuman; the motion was seconded (second not specified on the record). Roll-call votes recorded "yes" from: Councilwoman Deborah Lime, Councilwoman Cammie Schuman, Councilman John Soter, Councilwoman Monica Wilson, Councilwoman Amanda Boyd, Councilman Alan Divis, Councilman Rob Early, Councilman Kevin Kuzma (spellings as recorded in the meeting). Tally: yes 9, no 0. The mayor will sign the ordinance into effect.

Why this matters The budget sets spending priorities for police, fire, street maintenance and parks and establishes the city’s operating plan for calendar year 2025. Council and administration framed it as a modest increase driven largely by negotiated employee contracts and routine cost inflation; the city’s stated aim is to preserve core services while monitoring revenue performance during the year.

The council’s approval completes the formal legislative step to begin implementing the 2025 spending plan; specific line-item and capital projects will proceed under department authority and follow-up council approvals where required.

Ending: Council and administration indicated they will monitor collections during the year and revisit assumptions if revenue performance materially changes.