Franklin’s budget holds line on taxes
WAYNESBURG – The Franklin Township supervisors adopted its 2016 budget Monday under which property taxes will remain at 1.28 mills.
The budget is similar to the tentative spending plan the supervisors approved last month and includes a slight decrease in spending because of uncertainties regarding local revenue.
The supervisors always include a “little cushion” in the budget, Supervisor Reed Kiger said. They do this, he said, because when they prepare a budget they have no way of knowing how much revenue the township actually will receive during the year.
The supervisors agreed to cut back slightly on spending because of the potential impact on assessment values resulting from the closing of the Emerald Mine, township secretary Carol Kraft said.
According to county assessment records, the township’s total taxable property values dropped by about $7.8 million, which included about a $9.7 million decline in coal values.
The township budget lists spending at $1.95 million, a decrease from the current year of about $132,359. Spending remains fairly consistent with the current year, Kraft said.
Supervisors did earmark $100,000 for the capital improvement fund they created last year for water projects in areas not eligible for Community Development Block Grant funding.
CDBG money can only be used for projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
The supervisors also included $250,000 in the budget to make repairs to the township’s shop building.
The township expects to receive about $400,000 in Act 13 impact fee money, all of which will be used for roads, Kraft said. It also will get $333,332 in liquid fuels money from the state which also is earmarked for roads.
On the revenue side, the township expects to receive $345,000 from property taxes; $800,000 from the earned income tax; $75,000 from real estate transfer tax and $62,000 for building permits. Total tax revenue is expected to be about $18,395 less than this year.
Property taxes in the township have remained unchanged since 1988 when the supervisors adopted a fire protection tax following approval of the tax in a ballot referendum.
Of the township’s 1.28 mill property tax, 0.75 of a mill is earmarked for the general fund, 0.17 for machinery and 0.36 for fire protection. The general fund is budgeted at $1.8 million, fire tax fund, $94,700, and machinery fund, $51,400.
In other business, the supervisors awarded a contract for the demolition of a dilapidated house, formerly owned by Ersilia Fazio, on Route 218 just north of Brant Hill.
The contract was awarded to Crump Inc., which submitted the low bid of $5,200. The township had condemned the property.