The North Royalton City Council is looking to increase the fees for the North Royalton Cemetery, after discussion took place at the Council’s Finance Committee meeting. Larry Antoskiewicz, Council President and Chairman of the Finance Committee, said that discussion to raise the rates took place in an effort to ensure that the cemetery would continue to be maintained in a respectable manner without having to be subsidized by the city’s general fund. Antoskiewicz said that the city had taken the fees collected and made separate line items needed to that end, but didn’t address the cost of doing business, so adjustments needed to be made. It did, however, enable to city to pave the driveway in 2013.

The following shows the increase in the fee schedule:
214.06 FEES IN THE STREETS, UTILITIES AND PUBLIC SERVICES CODE. (k) Cemeteries: The price charge per grave lot:
Section A, from $650.00 to $700.00 for residents; from $900.00 to $1,000.00 for non-residents
Section B, from $550.00 to $600.00 for residents; from $800.00 to $900.00 for non-residents.
Sale or transfer of graves: from $ 35.00 to $ 40.00.
Grave opening and burial permit fees:
Small size from $200.00 to $250.00
Full size from $500.00 to $550.00
Extra deep for stacking of burials, from $300.00 to $350.00
Headstone resetting fee, from $150.00 to $200.00.
Grave opening for cremation, from $175.00 to $200.00
Disinterment (regular grave), from $800.00 to $850.00
Saturday or Sunday burial extra, from $400.00 to $550.00
Saturday opening for cremation, from $250.00 to $400.00
Funerals arriving after 3:00 p.m., from $50.00 to $ 75.00
Extra charge for each half hour or fraction thereof, from $ 40.00 to $ 50.00 Footer installations:
1 ft. wide by 3 ft. long or larger, from $250.00 to $300.00 plus, from $50.00 to $75.00 for each additional foot.
Less than 1 ft. wide by 3 ft. long, from $150.00 to $175.00.

The legislation also added to the following charges:
Full size burial – holidays and city observed holidays, $1,100.00
Grave opening for cremation – holidays and city observed holidays, $ 400.00
Antoskiewicz notes that the new fee schedule still falls in the middle of what other area cemeteries are charging. He noted that the fees, most of which only have gone up $50, have not been raised for more than five years. One project that has been discussed is the placement of a brick and black wrought iron fence around the cemetery. The city is awaiting a cost quotation for the project.

They have discussed the possibility of funding the projects possibly through the participation of the city’s service clubs and other funding sources. The North Royalton Cemetery was founded in 1866 as the Royalton Road Cemetery. In 1879 is was designated as one of the most picturesque in Cuyahoga County. The North Royalton Cemetery is open from 7 a.m. to sunset, daily. Office hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. For information, call Jason Swim at 440-237-4866.