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Council adopts 2027 tax budget; finance chair flags possible 2027 levy for emergency services
Summary
Council approved the 2027 tax budget after a finance committee review; members discussed a potential May 2027 levy to cover forecasted increases in fire/EMS/dispatch costs (~$500,000 per year) and options for funding a proposed Bell Road walking path that includes an $800,000 grant and a $1,000,000 local share.
The South Russell Village Council voted to approve the 2027 tax budget as read during the public hearing. Finance committee chair Chris Brewer presented the budget and explained fund accounting rules used to allocate revenues and expenses across multiple funds.
Brewer told council the village had not raised taxes since 2017 and had lowered taxes twice since then, but that the village expects a significant contract increase for fire, EMS and Chagrin Valley dispatch — ‘‘an increase of about $500,000 per year’’ across 2025–2028 — and that the village is assessing whether it has the financial capacity to absorb that increase without additional levies. He said one option discussed in finance was a May 2027 levy to recover some or all of the increased cost.
Separately, council discussed a proposed walking path along Bell Road with a current cost estimate of approximately $1,800,000, of which $800,000 would come from a NOACA grant and roughly $1,000,000 would be the village share. Council noted the project has been scaled down from an earlier bike-path concept and that placing the village contribution on the ballot (a levy) would let voters decide whether to raise that locally.
The budget passed by voice vote; where roll call votes were held for later ordinances, recorded ayes were tallied in the minutes. Council asked staff to refine estimates and report back to committees before any levy placement decisions.
Next steps: finance will continue modeling the fire/EMS cost increases, and staff will prepare detailed cost and feasibility materials for the Bell Road path before the July meetings.
