UNION TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Union Township officials in Clermont County are facing a difficult decision to drastically raise the prices of burials at Mt. Moriah Cemetery.
The cemetery is owned and operated by the township but has been operating at a loss for years.
Township officials understand generations of families are buried at the cemetery and want plots to remain attainable, but making up a $600,000 deficit is putting a strain on the general fund.
Watch to see a breakdown of the price changes that could come to Mt. Moriah Cemetery:
Township Administrator Cory Wright said they did a lot of research on comparable cemeteries in the area.
"The budget for the cemetery is just a little bit over $900,000 a year," Wright said.
But the revenues are only about $300,000 a year.
"That includes stone maintenance, maintaining equipment, mowing, cleaning headstones, purchasing additional columbariums to make sure we keep up with demand," Wright said.
The new proposed prices are, at times, five times more than the current prices.
"The fee increase for the graves themselves will be significant," Wright said.
For example, a grave site for a township resident is $700 today. That price is jumping to $2,000. A non-resident plot goes from $1,700 to $5,500.
Fees for weekend and holiday burials are also significantly more expensive, because staff has to be paid overtime.
"The fees will track on par with a Gate of Heaven, Spring Grove, it will be very comparable in that," Wright said.
Wright said everything involved in maintaining the cemetery is more expensive now, from dirt to concrete to a Bobcat the township just had to buy.
But labor is their biggest line item, as the mowing and maintenance of 56 acres is constant.
Even with the new prices, the gap between revenue and expenses is going to be close to $200,000.
A decision could be made at the next township meeting scheduled for April 14.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
