SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Shaker Heights city officials are allocating a surprise year-end $3.5 million surplus to replenish funds used to install solar panels on two of the city’s public works buildings, as well as address other pressing financial needs.

At a joint council and finance committee meeting on Monday to review the 2025 and 2026 budgets, Finance Director John Potts explained that the city needs to transfer $1.8 million from the surplus to the General Capital Fund to cover expenditures from the solar project approved earlier in the year.

The city previously approved $2.4 million in spending to replace the aging roofs. Then, council in July approved an additional $1.8 million contract to install solar panels on the buildings at the recommendation of the city’s sustainability comm

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