PERRYSBURG – A special meeting of the township trustees and city council to discuss future funding for
Fort Meigs Union Cemetery is scheduled for next week.
The group will meet in the township municipal building Monday at 5:30 p.m. to seek solutions for keeping
the cemetery fiscally solvent. Of particular concern to the cemetery board, which manages the 620 W.
Indiana Ave. property, are mounting capital expenses that will become an issue during the next few years
and decreased revenues anticipated in 2010 due to lower property values. A total of roughly $250,000 in
capital expenses are projected across the next five years.
A balloon payment of $280,427 on a land purchase loan also will be due in 2013.
"We’re just trying to hold our heads above water," said cemetery board member Bob Warnimont at
an informational joint meeting last week.
Maria Ermie, a city council member who also serves on the board, told both communities in a written
summary of the situation that the cemetery trustees believe they will be unable to cover anticipated
capital expenses in addition to paying for the land purchase. She also pointed to Ohio Revised Code 759,
which outlines how the city and township should split expenses for purchase of the land.
In 2002, the cemetery board received permission from the city and township to obtain a loan and buy 23
acres at a cost of $700,000. The loan was refinanced at 5 percent in 2008.
"As a result, we respectfully request the city and township reach consensus regarding acceptable
solutions and the responsibility borne by the city, township and cemetery as it pertains to the purchase
of the land to enable us to plan," she wrote.
The cemetery trustees have suggested a number of ideas for addressing the property’s financial problems:
the city and township could pay off the loan, and the cemetery would pay back the amount borrowed as
revenues allow; the city and township could pay off the loan with no payback by the cemetery; the city
and township could assist the cemetery with capital expenses; the cemetery board could sell some of the
cemetery land; and the unused land could be converted into a park.
Approaching voters with a levy has also been discussed, although Ermie specifically said last week she
probably would vote against that solution.
Warnimont said the cemetery board has continued to cut costs. For example, the board has: refinanced the
land purchase loan; enlisted city and township employees to help with payroll; eliminated two part-time
summer employees; cut overtime; delayed repairs; raised fees for plots and burials; as well as several
other measures.
"I don’t think there’s any more pennies that can be squeezed out of the operation of the
business," council member Tom Mackin said, noting that any possible land sale should probably
happen sooner rather than later and that the balloon payment would not be possible if there were no real
attempt to pay it down before the due date.
"Right now, if we don’t do anything, that’s probably not a good option for any of the
scenarios," he said.