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Franklin Council adopts budget amendment and passes 2026 municipal budget after public hearing
Summary
Franklin Township Council unanimously adopted a $166,000 budget amendment and then passed the 2026 municipal budget as amended after a public hearing that focused on levy drivers, school tax impacts and outreach for public participation.
Mayor Kramer and the Franklin Township Council moved quickly through budget business May 26, adopting a budget amendment to recognize a $166,000 grant and then holding a public hearing and ultimately passing the 2026 municipal budget as amended.
The council voted unanimously to amend the calendar‑year 2026 municipal budget to include the grant and associated appropriation, after auditors and the CFO advised the amendment would not trigger an additional public hearing because the change produced no net delta in appropriations. After the amendment was adopted, council opened a public hearing limited to the budget as amended and heard resident comments before final adoption.
In a 20‑minute presentation Mayor Kramer said the township levy stands at roughly $41.7 million and described the main upward pressures on municipal costs: liability insurance, recycling and trash contracts, snow removal, utilities and street lights, healthcare and salaries. He said the administration pared certain high‑ticket items (postponing or removing a large solar array project and other items) and eliminated some unfilled positions to reduce costs without layoffs.
Kramer and other council members emphasized that most property‑tax increases residents see come from the school district rather than the municipal share. Using an example of an average assessed home, the mayor showed municipal taxes account for roughly 13% of the total property‑tax bill; the school district, he said, accounts for the majority of the increase residents have felt.
Residents at the hearing asked for clearer advance notice of meetings and were directed to the township’s website, email notifications and local news outlets for agenda postings. Council members urged residents to sign up for automated notifications and encouraged public attendance at related school‑board meetings.
The council completed a roll‑call vote to adopt the budget as amended; the clerk recorded all members present voting "yes." The meeting then continued with other agenda items.
