Noah, a representative of the Franklin Senior Citizen group, asked city officials to approve rolling over unspent 2024 funds into 2025 and to keep the group's 2026 budget request at $12,000.

Noah told the meeting he joined the senior group in late February 2025 and was officially serving since March 5, 2025. He said the group’s 2025 budget had been presented by the previous president without broader board review, and described the 2025 request as $12,000 based on estimated participation and per-person meal costs. “Our membership participation has increased more than anticipated by our past president,” Noah said, and he told the committee the monthly average attendance rose from about 70–85 meals previously to 115–126 this year.

A council member told Noah the council had already approved rolling over leftover 2024 funds into 2025 at the September 2 council meeting and explained the process for requesting any funds to carry forward into 2026. “If there’s any funding that could potentially be rolled over into ’26…submit that to myself or Lisa at the beginning of the year,” the council member said.

Why it matters: the Franklin-sponsored senior organizations operate on volunteer labor and modest city support; organizers said most participants are on Social Security and that meal and operating costs are rising. The senior group requested that the unspent 2024 balance be applied to current operations so the group can keep the $12,000 request for 2026 without asking for an immediate increase.

Key details from the discussion include Noah’s account that the past president prepared the 2025 budget without consulting the board or treasurer, the group negotiated meal prices with the facility’s new general manager, and the group intends to ask members to contribute more to meals going forward. City staff confirmed the rollover approval for 2024 into 2025 and gave instructions on how to document any leftover funds for 2026.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken during the discussion; the council member’s comments described actions already taken at a previous council meeting and outlined the administrative step for future rollover requests. The senior group representative said the organization is volunteer-run with no paid staff and asked that the committee preserve the requested $12,000 for next year.