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Mayor: Cuyahoga Falls seeks roughly $160,000 in underbilled water charges, may raise Silver Lake bills
Summary
Mayor Dunphy told council that Cuyahoga Falls is requesting about $160,000 for underbilled water charges from 2024–2025 and that multi-year rate increases could raise household bills by roughly $18 per month; village officials said they will review contract and budget impacts.
Mayor John Dunphy told the Village of Silver Lake Council on Dec. 1 that neighboring Cuyahoga Falls has implemented multi‑year water rate increases and now is seeking about $160,000 in underbilled charges for 2024–2025 that it did not invoice Silver Lake earlier.
"Cuyahoga Falls ... is requesting $160,000 in underbilled charges for 2024-2025," Mayor Dunphy said, adding that the county supplier had rolled out rate increases over the past two years but had not billed the village for those increases in that period.
Why it matters: Silver Lake buys its water from Cuyahoga Falls under a long-standing contract that the mayor said dates to at least 1956 and currently runs through 2028. Mayor Dunphy told council the increases must be incorporated into Silver Lake’s 2026 water rate (he cited about a 107% increase for 2026) and that two additional scheduled increases in 2027–2028 would raise the cumulative increase to roughly 150% by the contract’s end. He estimated the combined effect would amount to about $18.06 in additional monthly water costs per household, broken down as roughly $2.42 to reimburse prior underpayments (amortized over five years at 0% interest) and $15.64 to cover higher ongoing rates.
Law Director Patricia Ambrose Rubright reiterated the mayor’s account and discussed the current water contract. Clerk‑Treasurer Sean Housley said he has not completed final debt amortization schedules for some projects and will present finalized appropriations measures next year to reflect any required adjustments.
No formal vote or directive was recorded on the water billing matter during the meeting. Council members discussed the information as presented and did not take immediate action; Housley will bring related budget measures once schedules are complete.
What remains unresolved: According to the mayor, Cuyahoga Falls did not respond to village inquiries for several weeks before scheduling a meeting through its service director, Anthony Zumbo. The transcript records the supplier’s request for underbilled charges but does not record a response from Cuyahoga Falls to the specific dollar figures or a timetable for billing or dispute resolution.
Next steps: Clerk‑Treasurer Sean Housley will bring finalized appropriations and debt amortization schedules to council for review next year so the village can determine whether and how to adjust its water rates or payment schedule.
