Cleveland Heights council adopts 2025 appropriations after months-long review

Cleveland Heights City Council approved Ordinance 011-2025, the city’s 2025 appropriations ordinance, on March 17 after extended committee review and public debate. Council voted to adopt the ordinance as amended (removal of the seventh whereas clause) and declared it an emergency measure so the appropriations can take effect immediately.

The budget approval concluded a months-long process that began with the council voting for a temporary budget in December after members said the mayor’s initial submission left key financial documents and audit materials missing. Councilwoman Gail Larson, chair of the finance committee, said the temporary measure bought time for staff to produce additional detail and for the committee to vet outstanding items.

Larson told colleagues the city charter requires council to review “detailed information obtained from the several departments” and said she intended to vote for final adoption with commitments to more regular oversight. “I intend to vote yes tonight on this legislation with the commitment to the citizens that the finance committee will meet monthly in 2025 to discuss monthly financial reports, to track the capital budget projects for 2025, and to request updates on the 2023 state financial audit,” Larson said.

Council members pressed for specific reforms before voting. Councilman Jim Posch said the city must resolve outstanding audit submissions and strengthen finance staffing and systems: “We need to replace an antiquated accounting system. We need to invest in this,” he said, adding the committee will seek administration proposals to hire an assistant finance director and to transition to new financial software.

Mayor Kahlil Seren thanked staff and council for the work to reach a final vote and said administration directors have been responsive during the follow-up process. “Many of the appropriations requests that we have made as an administration to the council have been considered fairly,” Seren said.

Council members identified priorities to monitor in 2025: (1) completing and filing the city’s 2023 and 2024 audit materials with the state auditor; (2) investing in finance staffing and modern accounting software; (3) creating a multiyear capital plan and tracking capital projects on one spreadsheet; and (4) posting monthly and quarterly financial reports publicly. Councilwoman Larson and others also asked the administration to return to the finance committee with requests for additional council priority items, including a composting pilot program (Larson noted a $38,160 request) and capital-tracking updates. The finance committee’s next meeting was scheduled for March 26.

The council record shows a motion to amend the ordinance (remove a whereas clause) was adopted; the ordinance was then adopted on final vote. Council members who spoke in debate — Larson, Posch, Jim Petrus, Craig Cobb, Councilman Maddox and others — said they would support the final appropriations and continue oversight work.

The council’s adoption of 011-2025 follows a December 2024 temporary budget vote and hours of finance committee hearings in early 2025. Officials said the vote should let departments proceed under an approved full-year appropriation while the stated administrative follow-ups (audit filings, software and staffing changes, and monthly reporting) are pursued.

Votes at the March 17 meeting recorded the ordinance as approved. Council members asked that remaining questions and additional appropriation requests that arise during 2025 be addressed promptly by committee and council.

For residents: the council asked the administration to post monthly financial statements and the 2024 fourth-quarter reports to the city website when finalized.

Ending: Council members characterized the vote as the end of a difficult budget cycle and the start of a period of follow-up and reform. The finance committee will continue monthly oversight and expects the administration to deliver audit materials and software/staffing proposals in the coming months.