East Franklin Township Tentative Budget Approved

By Jonathan Weaver

East Franklin Township residents are one approval closer to getting to plan for a year without a tax increase or increased sewage rate.

Township supervisors unanimously approved the tentative 2015 budget for all funds, including the General Fund and Sewage Operating Fund, with no real estate tax increase or increased sewage rate at the Adrian, Cowansville, Tarrtown and Fox Hollow sewage treatment plants.

The $1.2 million General Fund budget has nearly $50,000 extra available that supervisors are able to pay a nearly-$14,000 sewage deficit.

Supervisor Chair Barry Peters recalled that the last tax increase – of three mills, doubling the tax rate to the current rate of six mills - more than a dozen years ago was to pave.

“We’re good – I think everything’s good,” Peters said.

It is estimated about $477,000 in tax revenue will come in 2015 – about $76,000 per mill.

Peters said the goal for this year was not to have to raise taxes after the new township building and storage shed were built.

“(If) we get a little more business in here, we might be able to lower the bill,” Peters said. “It would be nice if we could.

“We have a new truck coming, and pretty good equipment right now, new building. We get some of this stuff paid down, hopefully we can lower the taxes.”

Supervisor David Stewart – who made the initial motion to accept the budget – has lived in the township nearly 59 years also agreed.

“It’s good,” Stewart said. “We don’t have to raise taxes. Everything’s cool.”
Stewart – the township full-time sewage operator - said November was the second month in a row without any mechanical problems at the sewage treatment plants

Secretary Debra Cornman explained that the only change since a budget meeting at the beginning of this month was decreasing the expected expenditures by $2,500 – a move after supervisors decided to only have one trash week during the year instead of two.

Usually held in April and September, the 2015 trash week will be held in April or May and might extend a day or two past its usual four days to accommodate

Supervisors also approved for Certified Public Accounting firm Cottrill, Arbutina and Associates to audit the 2014 books – the final year of the current three-year contract.

Secretary Debra Cornman was unanimously appointed the Tax Collector Committee alternate.

Another three-year contract has already approved to begin in 2015, but supervisors must approve the action annually.

In other news, supervisors received a single bid for the 2001 GMC C8500 single-axle dump truck up for sale. The $12,000 bid from Toy’s Landscaping was $2,000 more than the minimum amount expected.

Last year’s budget of $2.3 million was higher due to the loan secured to build the new township municipal building/police station – which opened at the beginning of the calendar year.

Copies of the tentative budget were available for residents who attended Tuesday evening’s meeting and will be in the township office until the next meeting and vote December 23.