Nov 20, 2019 2 min read

North Franklin Township supervisors approved a preliminary 2020 budget with no tax increase last week.

The balanced $1,830,264 preliminary budget is not expected to change much before its adoption next month, according to Erin Dinch, the township’s director of planning and zoning. It’s also not greatly changed from 2019’s budget, $1.823 million.

Highways, roads and streets make up the largest portion of expenses for the township, with $606,544 in anticipated expenditures. The budget also includes an anticipated $228,770 for police, though the township’s police department was disbanded last year. Line items additional payout and legal services are budgeted at $100,000 each.

The department was disbanded in December 2018 following a lawsuit filing in which a former part-time female officer sued the township for sexual harassment. Following an investigation, the township placed Officer Rodney Bush and Sgt. Jerry Cavanaugh on a 30-day suspension without pay, followed by probation. The township also gave then-Chief Ronald Fox a letter of reprimand.

The police union is in arbitration with the township over vacation and sick days for 2019 the union believes they are owed. Dinch said most of that money budgeted for police in 2020 is “just in case” the arbitration doesn’t go the township’s way.

“We have to have the money set aside until it’s all settled,” she said.

She also said that some of the budgeted money for police is to pay medical insurance for retired police officers who are not yet eligible for Medicare.

The township’s insurance carrier handled a settlement with the female officer, which called for the township to pay a $5,000 deductible payment. The township’s liability rates have since increased from a $5,000 deductible per claim for liability cases to $25,000.

Another big portion of the township’s budget is $305,015 going toward bond payments. This year, supervisors refinanced the township’s 2013 general obligation bond, which still has 12 years remaining. It saved them about $50,000 on next month’s payment, according to township treasurer Jackie Kotchman.

Along with the refinancing, the township also decided to borrow an additional $1.144 million to build a new township building, making the total amount being borrowed $3.5 million, Kotchman said.