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Franklin Park officials discuss home-rule option to expand non-property-tax revenue; public hearing planned
Summary
Council members and staff discussed pursuing home-rule status or municipal authorities to raise revenue without increasing property taxes, potential impacts on stormwater fees and state-road maintenance costs, and plans for a public hearing in June.
Franklin Park borough officials discussed pursuing home-rule authority or a similar municipal structure as a way to generate revenue without raising property taxes and to gain more control over local services. The discussion at the March 19 work session centered on the costs and nonfinancial benefits of a governance change, legal limits on local fees, and next steps including a public hearing(s) and ordinance introduction in June.
Supporters said home-rule or creating new authorities could allow the borough to access new revenue streams and give more operational flexibility than the current state-governed structure. Staff and council members said they have so far emphasized the financial upside but want to better document nonmonetary benefits—such as streamlined operations—before broader outreach. Councilmembers directed staff to begin drafting outreach materials and to include nonfinancial talking points…
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