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North Royalton finance committee advances 2026 appropriations and reports a clean 2024 audit
Summary
At its Nov. 18 meeting the North Royalton Finance Committee voted to forward three ordinances — including the 2026 Permanent Appropriations — to the full council, heard that the 2024 audit was clean with no management-letter comments, and reviewed revenue and overtime trends amid possible state property tax changes.
The North Royalton Finance Committee met Nov. 18, 2025, at city hall and voted to forward several budget ordinances to the full city council while receiving an update that the city’s 2024 audit was clean and that state property tax legislation could affect future budgets.
Finance Director Jenny Esarey reported that RITA deposited November receipts on Nov. 17 and that year-to-date collections are above last year’s levels, in part because of RITA’s subpoena program. She told the committee the city’s departments have generally operated within budget.
Esarey also reviewed overtime figures, saying the city should be at roughly 83% for the year but is currently at about 66% overall; she said the General Fund is at about 46% and characterized the departments as managing overtime "overall, the city is doing well." Committee member Linda Barath responded that 66% through November was “great.”
Esarey warned the committee she is monitoring multiple House and Senate bills that would change how property taxes and inside millage are calculated. She said the city’s inside millage generates about $3.3 million and that changes to state law could produce a “large hit” to municipal revenue; she and the mayor have been communicating with state lawmakers, and she said any fiscal impact is more likely to appear in the 2027 budget cycle.
On the administrative side, Esarey said a previously announced Cuyahoga County tax lien sale was postponed to 2026; the committee voted to remove the 2025 tax-lien-sale item from the agenda.
Committee members praised the 23-page Permanent Appropriations report prepared by Esarey as thorough. Mary Gorjanc called attention to carryovers, noting that while Esarey had said a carryover of 15–30% of expenditures is recommended, the General Fund carryover in this draft is about 50%; she urged the committee to consider whether carryovers are overly generous.
The committee approved motions to forward three ordinances to the council agenda:
- Ordinance 25-155, the 2026 Permanent Appropriations, was moved by Chair Paul Marnecheck and seconded by Linda Barath and carried unanimously among members present.
- Ordinance 25-161, amended appropriations for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2025, was described by Esarey as largely net-zero accounting to accommodate items including a taser lease payment, $2,000 for Safety Town, additional street-fund engineering and construction administrative costs for Akins and Abbey, snow-removal overtime, and a bond escrow balance under $10,000; the committee moved it to council.
- Ordinance 25-162, authorizing the city to request tax revenue advances from Cuyahoga County to support year-end cash flow (first-half and second-half advances), was also moved to the council agenda.
Esarey said the city received its 2024 audit with no management-letter comments and that she has contacted the Auditor of State to determine when the city will receive the award. Committee members congratulated Esarey on the clean audit.
The meeting ended when Marnecheck moved and Barath seconded adjournment at 7:11 p.m.
Votes at a glance: - Excuse Michael Wos from the Nov. 18 meeting: moved by Paul Marnecheck, seconded by Linda Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Approve Nov. 5, 2025 special meeting minutes: moved by Marnecheck, seconded by Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Remove Cuyahoga County Tax Lien Sale (2025) from agenda: moved by Barath, seconded by Marnecheck; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Ordinance 25-155 (2026 Permanent Appropriations) to council: moved by Marnecheck, seconded by Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Ordinance 25-161 (Amended Appropriations FY 2025) to council: moved by Marnecheck, seconded by Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Ordinance 25-162 (Advancing Tax Revenues) to council: moved by Marnecheck, seconded by Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried. - Adjourn: moved by Marnecheck, seconded by Barath; Yeas: Barath, Marnecheck; motion carried.
