Franklin council approves budget

FRANKLIN — The Franklin Borough Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a 2017 budget that will keep taxes flat for residents.
The $6.65 million plan includes $4.68 million to be raised through taxes, as well as $448,100 from the township's fund balance, around $267,500 in local revenue, just under $620,000 in state aid, a little over $381,000 in payments on back taxes, and approximately $261,000 in other revenues and special items.
Though the budget total is up nearly $218,000 from last year, the municipal tax rate of $1.17 will remain unchanged from 2016. That's thanks to an extra $148,000 kicked in from the fund balance over last year's total of $300,000 to help prevent an increase.
While some municipalities have a tendency to dip into their fund balance a little too much, Borough CFO Monica Miebach said Franklin doesn't take out more than it can replenish.
Nearly 83 percent of the budget will go toward municipal purposes, while the reserve for uncollected taxes and debt service payments will make up just under 6 percent each.
For every tax dollar that comes into Franklin, the Borough said 32 cents will stay in town, while 36 cents will go to the local school district, 15 cents will go to the regional high school, and 16 cents will go to county taxes.
Old zinc mine property subdividedMayor Nicholas Giordano on Tuesday called out to the public the Borough Planning Board's recent decision to subdivide the old zinc mine lot. The 25-acre site has now been split into three different lots, separating the less usable bottom portion of the property from more attractive upper sections, he said.
Giordano called the move a “huge step” for the future of the town and toward revitalization of Main Street.
According to Giordano, the property has been underutilized or outright vacant for more than 60 years following the mine's closure in 1954. Now that the lot has been spilt apart, though, the owner can get to work on the two most buildable sites right away, he said.