Noblesville is hiking its fees for graves and burials at Riverside Cemetery that will take effect Oct. 1.
The Noblesville Common Council voted to approve an ordinance during its Aug. 23 meeting that will double the fees for the first time since 2019, with the exception of adult burials, which are being raised from $500 to $750.
City Clerk Evelyn Lees wrote in a memorandum to the council that the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety and the council had approved increased fees and codified policies on Dec. 17, 2019, for Riverside Cemetery, which is in downtown Noblesville along the banks of the White River. The cemetery is maintained by the city.
“At that time, fees had not changed since 2004,” Lees said. “Because the fees were so much lower than the other nearby cemeteries, they were only doubled at that time, with the intent of increasing them again in a few years.”
However, Lees said the recently completed restoration of the historic portion of the cemetery has renewed public interest in it and that more people are inquiring about buying plots and columbarium niches.
“In light of that fact, it now seems to be the appropriate time to increase fees again,” Lees said.
The increase in fees means that infant burials will cost $500, in-ground cremations will be $500, and in columbarium cremations will cost $250. Lots for city residents will cost $600, while niches will be $300 under the approved changes.
For a Hamilton County resident, the cost of purchasing a lot will be $800 and $400 for niches once the fee increases take effect. Individuals living outside of Hamilton County who want to purchase lots and niches at Riverside Cemetery will pay double compared to what Hamilton County residents will pay, according to the ordinance.
All fees collected from the cemetery goes directly back into the city’s general fund, said Jeff Spalding, CFO/City Controller.
The city has projected that it will collect a total of $7,675 in cemetery fees by the end of the year. Records provided by Spalding indicate that in 2021, the city brought in $10,200 in cemetery fees.
Spalding noted that cemetery fees account for a small portion of revenue within the city’s general fund each year. The majority of funding within the city’s general fund on an annual basis is generated by property and income taxes, Spalding said.
