Franklin Park council adopts 2026 budget, sets millage at 2.59 after divided vote

FRANKLIN PARK, Pa. — The Franklin Park borough council on Dec. 3 approved the borough’s 2026 budget and enacted ordinance No. 694 of 2025, setting the 2026 tax rate at 2.59 mills, after a roll-call vote that recorded four members in favor and two opposed.

The vote followed a motion to enact the ordinance. Miss Chekai, Dr. Lee, Mister Malcolm and Mister Pollard voted yes; Mister Myslinski and Mister Schwartzmeyer voted no. The ordinance continues existing taxes and rates and establishes the millage rate the borough will use to fund the adopted budget.

Supporters said the increase was necessary to balance services and avoid deeper cuts. In the discussion that followed, one council member said the board had discussed the budget in at least six meetings and that colleagues who voted no had not proposed alternatives earlier: “to come here tonight and vote no, having the opportunity to offer an alternative at least 6 times, I find frustrating,” the member said.

Opponents and cautious members questioned the magnitude and timing of the increase. One council member noted a near doubling of the millage in two years and asked whether the borough could have phased the increase or used short-term financing. The speaker described waning permit revenue from development and said the adopted budget was “tight” but expressed concern about imposing the full increase on taxpayers at once.

Council members and staff exchanged comparative figures to provide context: according to remarks in the meeting, borough spending is roughly $943 per resident, compared with $1,022 in a neighboring locality and $1,582 in another nearby township. Council members noted that reserves and deferred maintenance have been used in recent years and that options to delay some expense have become limited.

The ordinance had been advertised for potential action before the meeting, the clerk confirmed during the session. The motion to approve the budget (Motion 1) was passed by voice vote; the specific tally for that motion was not recorded on the transcript. The millage ordinance (Motion 2 / Ordinance No. 694-2025) was enacted by roll call and recorded as approved.

The council adjourned the special meeting portion and scheduled a public work session to follow.

What’s next: The ordinance establishes the millage for 2026; implementation will follow the borough’s normal tax-billing procedures and schedule. The transcript does not specify the timing or mechanics for taxpayer notices or appeals.