By John Chambless

Staff Writer

The Franklin Township Board of Supervisors approved the township's preliminary 2015 budget at their Nov. 19 meeting, and faced no public comment or criticism.

During the budget discussion, chairman John Auerbach said that the board wants to lower the real estate tax in the township by another 10 percent, resulting in a real estate millage of 2.495. The board, he said, agreed that dropping the real estate tax was the fairest way to give back to residents. They reallocated .18 mills to the Emergency Fund, and lowered the General Fund rate to account for the reduction. The breakdown is now 1.145 for the General Fund, .50 for open space, .27 for the township's park, and .58 for Emergency Services.

Auerbach and manager/treasurer Joan McVaugh presented a 2015 preliminary budget that lists the following budget expenditures:

General Fund – $1,477,184.50

Park and Recreation Fund – $163,666.25

Open Space Fund – $185,756.32

Traffic Impact-East Fund – $66,000

Traffic Impact-West Fund – $62,145

Capital Reserve Fund – $688,000

Highway Aid Fund – $153,300

Emergency Services Fund – $174,994.14

Fire Hydrant Fund – $6,969.60

The total expenditures for 2015 are $2,983,015.81.

The 2015 proposed final budget is available for inspection from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Franklin Township Municipal Office (20 Municipal Lane, Kemblesville), and is posted on the township's website (www.franklintownship.us.). The supervisors will consider adoption of the budget at the Dec. 17 public meeting, which begins at 7 p.m.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, e-mail [email protected].