Taxes Could Remain the Same in Franklin but Fees Could Increase Drastically

| November 12, 2019

FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) – Taxes would stay level but fees could raise – some drastically – under budget and fee proposals passed by the Franklin City Council Monday.

On a first-reading basis – final readings towards passage will take place at the December 2 meeting – the Council approved a general fund budget for 2020 of $5,237,446.00. This is $79,351/00 less than the $5,316,797.00 2019 budget with a real estate tax rate of 11.3 mills on each dollar of accessed valuation (or the sum of $1.13 per each $100.000 of assessed value) and an earned income tax at the rate of 1.75 percent on residents of the City and 1.0 percent on non-residents of the City working within the City.

The tax rates are the same as last year, something Mayor Doug Baker and Councilman Sam Lyons attributed to the hard work of City Manager Tracy Jamieson and the City staff.

“I want to commend the staff on their hard work on the budget,” Baker said.

Lyons echoed those sentiments when he said the City has been able to keep from raising taxes now for a “number of years.”

“Kudos to Tracy and all the staff,” Lyons said. “It’s amazing.”

Councilman Ryan Rudegair, voting on a budget for the first time since joining the Council this year, did express a concern that the budget doesn’t address bringing the police force up to full force.

“We are still down an officer (which he amended to three officers after police chief Kevin Anundson corrected him),” Rudegair said. “I am not a fan of that, although I know that is one of those things that is a hard decision.”

Baker said he agreed with Rudegair’s concern.

“That certainly concerns me, too,” Baker said. “That is why I want to help improve our neighborhoods. I hope we can get the police department back to full staff. There is a lot of work still to do.”

A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7:00 p.m. Dec. 2 prior to the regularly scheduled council meeting.

FEES COULD INCREASE DRASTICALLY

While taxes remain level, the fees in the City could see dramatic increases under a proposal submitted by Jamieson, who was not at the meeting.

While all the City fees would see increases, some of them are steep including excavation permits going from $10.00 to $125.00 (1,250 percent increase); a zoning hearing going from $350.00 to $750.00 (slightly less than 214.3 percent increase); municipal zoning permits going from $25.00 to $50.00 (a 100 percent increase); retail food facility license for restaurants, schools and for-profits) going from $50.00 to $100.00 (a 100 percent increase); retail food facility licenses for non-profits going from $25.00 to $50.00 (a 100 percent increase); a peddler’s license going from $50.00 to $100.00 (a 100 percent increase); and a park and parade assembly request going from $10.00 to $25.00 (a 250 percent increase).

In addition, three new fees would be added including billing for all-event related trash not bagged and brought to the curb ($150.00 per park used); a exclusive use of a downtown alley ($50.00 per day Monday through Thursday and $100 per day Friday-Sunday); and non-exclusive use of a downtown alley ($25 per day).

All new fees would take place at the start of 2020 if approved in December.

Jamieson in her memorandum to the Council said the City’s fee schedule hasn’t been updated since 2017 when only a few items were changed.

“The fee increases laid out are being proposed based on a review of our time, materials and cost necessary to provide the service,” Jamieson said in the memo. “A cursory comparison was made of fees of other municipalities. Some are higher, some are lower, and, in some cases, it was like comparing apples to oranges. In any event, these costs are not unreasonable, since we should be covering our costs at the very least.”

Solicitor Brian Spaid reiterated to the Council what the memo said he used the zoning hearing fee as an example.

“Three-hundred and fifty dollars are insufficient to cover the cost of advertising (the hearing),” Spaid said. “Raising it (to $750.00) is consistent with other municipalities.”

Rudegair asked why the big increase in the excavation fee from $10.00 to $125.00, but neither Spaid nor fire chief Jim Wetzel, who was taking Jamieson’s place at the Council table as second-in-command when she is not available, seemed to know why the increase was needed.

Wetzel did say it was his understanding that the fees were average compared to other municipalities.

“I understand the reason to do it,” Rudegair said. “I am concerned with some of them being too much too fast. Some are double or more than what they were.”

Spaid said the City is often lax in raising its fees over time necessitating the need for major increases.

“Covering costs is more appropriate this way,” Spaid said. “That is my understanding.”

Spaid did tell the Council that they could pass the fees on a first-reading basis and then go back and look at them and ask Jamieson about them prior to the December meeting.

Rudegair asked if it would be possible in December to line-item strike any of the proposed fees, and Spaid said he believed it would be.


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