2025 Safety Services Levy Frequently Asked Questions

Our city faces a financial crossroads with difficult decisions we must make together. Since 1967, Highland Heights has been funded by a flat 4.0 mill property tax rate–of which 2.2 mills go to our general operating expenses, which is about 6.5% of our total general fund revenue. As a city, we are proud to have offered one of the lowest property tax rates in Cuyahoga County. However, we now take in less revenue through income tax collections due to major, permanent shifts in the post-pandemic workforce. Like our residents, we also faced slowly rising costs due to inflation and increased service demand. Over the past few years, this combo of flat revenue and increased cost has led us to a roughly $2 million annual deficit. 

This levy will be used exclusively to fund Highland Heights’ Safety Services–Police, Fire, and EMS–which 80% of our community rated as “5-Star” quality in recent community research. Without new revenue, we will necessarily see significant changes to our Safety Service offerings, as well as other city services. 

Yes – this request is an additional property tax levy. It is the first for the City of Highland Heights since 1967! This is not a renewal or replacement. If approved, it will remain in effect for a continuous period of time, providing stable, reliable funding for our Safety Services.

Adjusting our revenue structure now is essential to the long-term health of the city. For decades, income taxes funded over 80% of our city budget, allowing us to reliably maintain a very low property tax rate. That has been a reflection of our decades-long commitment to financial restraint. However, this model is inherently more unsustainable and riskier for a community like ours. For example, the number of calls to our various Safety Services has been increasing for years and will continue to do so as our population ages.

This scenario has been developing for years. For example, did you know our income tax collections actually peaked back in 2018, before the pandemic and its wide-ranging impact on businesses and employers? While city revenues have remained relatively flat overall, the inflation we’ve all felt since 2021 has had a really big impact on us, ultimately diminishing our city’s buying power. 

Currently, Highland Heights’ 4.0 mill property tax is the lowest among the major cities surrounding our community. If the levy is passed, WE WILL REMAIN ONE OFTHE LOWEST rate among our neighboring cities, including Mayfield Heights, Lyndhurst, Richmond Heights and South Euclid.

Highland Heights (CURRENT): 4.0 mills

Highland Heights(IF PASSED): 9.9 mills

Mayfield Village: 5.0 mills 

Mayfield Heights: 10.9 mills 

Lyndhurst: 11.5 mills

University Heights: 13.2 mills 

Richmond Heights: 17.1 mills 

South Euclid: 18.9 mills

The 5.9 mill levy would cost approximately $17 a month per $100,000 of home value, or $206.50 annually. This is an investment that protects the high-quality Safety Services we pride ourselves on, keeping Highland Heights one of the region’s safest and most desirable communities.

Simply put, without the levy, we will need to reduce our annual budget by about $2 million. Unfortunately, since our Police, Fire and EMS are ~60% of our budget right now, they would necessarily bear some of the hardest reductions: reduced staffing, fewer patrols, slower response times, delayed equipment upgrades, difficulty recruiting new officers, etc. We also expect other non-safety services (like public works, waste collection, building department, etc.) will also see reductions to bridge the deficit, impacting our quality of life.

No… quite the contrary. This levy request is the result of months and years of research and discussion among city leaders and fundamentally aims to preserve what we have. The fact that we were able to sustain such a low property tax rate for decades is a testament to generations of smart financial decision-making by leaders in the city. We are extremely appreciative that this year’s community research showed that about two-thirds of our residents have a very high level of trust in our city’s financial leadership and decision-making. The city has consistently made responsible budget decisions which have allowed us to maximize our efficiencies over the years.

No, all funds collected by this levy would be legally restricted to a separate Safety Services Fund. Exact disbursement of these funds will be determined annually by City Council and the Mayor’s Office during the budgeting process, but fundamentally these dollars can only be used for Police, Fire and EMS operations –which includes personnel, vehicles, equipment, and training programs. This ensures every penny you invest directly protects the 5-star safety forces we all value and depend on.

A property tax means that everyone helps share the burden. Homeowners pay a portion based on the value of their property of course, but businesses pay a portion via commercial property taxes, and renters pay more as their landlords update lease agreements – all reflecting our mutual stake in community safety.

Our existing income tax already generates about 78% of city revenue. Property taxes provide more stable, predictable revenue and are less sensitive to economic swings. They also ensure businesses and non-resident property owners are fairly contributing to the Safety Services that protect their assets. 

Research we conducted earlier this year indicated that the majority (55%) of the community surveyed prefer we balance our finances with a combination of new revenue paired with reductions in spending. The city is constantly looking for responsible cuts and maximized efficiency, but with 60% of our budget going to Safety Services right now, future cuts would impact those significantly. We pursue new businesses constantly and aggressively, but those efforts are only part of the solution. Additionally, we are concerned that reducing the capacity of our safety services will have a negative impact on our ability to recruit new businesses to the city.

We had 546 residents participate in our online community survey in March and April. Results from the independent third-party research firm were presented to City Council and the Mayor, and the Executive Summary and Research Presentation.

Voter Registration deadline is October 6th, and early voting and vote-by-mail begins on October 7th. Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th, 2025. Highland Heights Community Center (5827 Highland Road) is the polling place for the entire city. More detailed voter information here: boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/voters