Franklin to hold the line on taxes

For a 10th straight year, Franklin Township residents won’t see an increase in their municipal tax rates.

Not after the township’s board of supervisors on Tuesday unanimously agreed to adopt the 2020 budget with no increase in the millage rate.

That will leave the millage rate in check at 7.64 mills. Of that, 6.3 mills is for general purposes; 0.537 for the capital reserve building fund; and 0.800 for the fire hydrant fund for properties within 780 feet of fire hydrants.

However, residents will see a $10 increase in their garbage bills next year, which supervisors said will equate to an 83-cent per hour increase.

The board noted this represents the first time garbage rates went up since 2009, and added that it will help the township counter the rising costs of health care, unfunded state mandates (MS4), and repairs to older vehicles/trucks.

Last month, the board noted during a four-hour budget workshop that the township is owed about $225,000 in delinquent garbage fees.

As part of that session, supervisors went over each budgetary line item as they attempted to piece together next year’s spending plan.

At that time, township police Chief Jason Doll said his department’s most pressing need is staffing, and presented the board with scenarios for four, five and six full-time officers.

Doll said the department currently has four full-time officers, and that his preference would be for six full-timers.

He also cited the proposed St. Luke’s Carbon Campus, as well as the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 building that recently opened, as examples that the department could use additional manpower.

Supervisors estimated that it would cost the township about $93,579 (wages and health benefits) per officer.

Doll noted at that time that former township police Chief Thomas Beltz in 2005 asked the township for a fifth full-time officer, but his request was turned down.

He added that if the need was there for a fifth full-timer nearly 15 years ago, then the need for a sixth full-timer is here now.

If the board were to approve additional staffing, Doll said his budget could be flexible.

Last December, supervisors adopted this year’s budget with no millage increase, which left the millage rate in check at 7.64 mills.

There was also no increase in the garbage or sewer rates.

The last time residents saw a tax increase was in 2010, when taxes were raised by 1.5 mills.