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Silver Lake council debates higher water bills after Cuyahoga Falls billing error
Summary
Council discussed Ordinance 104-2025 to raise local water and sewer charges after a Cuyahoga Falls billing error left Silver Lake with an estimated $160,000 shortfall; the council delayed adoption and agreed to three readings while staff work out repayment details and resident notifications.
Council members on Monday discussed a proposed change to Silver Lake's water and sewer rates after officials discovered that Cuyahoga Falls had underbilled the village for two years, leaving an estimated $160,000 in arrears. Mayor Dunphy said the shortfall and a five-year wholesale rate schedule passed by Cuyahoga Falls mean Silver Lake must update its consumer charges to reflect higher wholesale costs.
The ordinance as drafted would change the per-unit charge; council members noted drafting issues in the text. Council member Chris Scott pointed out that an earlier struck-through increase should be set at $8.40 per 100 cubic feet rather than the $12.01 shown in the draft; Clerk-Treasurer Sean Housley agreed. Mayor Dunphy and staff estimated a typical residential bill would rise from $61.79 to $79.84 — about an $18.05 increase — and that the draft includes roughly $2.41 per bill to repay arrears over five years at 0% interest. Officials said those repayment terms are being worked out with Cuyahoga Falls and will be locked into a simple written agreement once final December usage numbers are available.
Anthony Zumbo, service director for Cuyahoga Falls, attended and told council the error was human and that Cuyahoga Falls’ ordinances do not allow simply forgiving the missing revenue without effectively shifting costs to Cuyahoga Falls residents. Zumbo confirmed Silver Lake currently pays about 20% above the Cuyahoga Falls wholesale rate and said additional 10% increases are scheduled in 2027 and 2028 under Cuyahoga Falls' plan.
Council did not vote to adopt Ordinance 104 at the meeting and agreed to hold it for three readings. Members discussed tightening future intermunicipal contract language to require clearer notice and penalties for billing errors, and they outlined planned resident communications including a possible public hearing around the Jan. 20 meeting and inserts in January water bills.
Next steps: staff will finalize the repayment schedule with Cuyahoga Falls once December billing is complete and bring revised ordinance language back for subsequent readings.
