By Brian Brock
The tentative 2021 budget for the Town of Franklin would spend $1.80 million. To partially finance this, the town board plans to raise $1.23 million in property taxes from landowners, an increase of $ 0.017 million (1.38%) over the 2020 budget. This increase in the levy would be just under the state-imposed soft cap, same as last year.
Salaries of all town officials (personal salary, PS) would the same: Superintendent of Highways Laing $47,700, Assessor Basile $27,750, Clerk/collector/registrar Johns $16,600, supervisor Taggart $15,900, code Enforcement Officer Jacobs $15,000, Finance Director Warner $12,750, Justice Arndt $6,500, Dog Control Officer Constable $1,800, and councilmen Bruno, Grant, Sitts, and Smith $1,200 each. (Taggart’s salary is $3,800 (24%) from the town and $12,100 (76%) from the county.) Total of salaries for town officials would be $137,300. Benefits would increase $2,360 (3.8%) to $64,010.
Capital expenses (contractual expenditures, CE) for government would decrease a total of approximately $17,500: tax collector $435, attorney $1,200, buildings $15,000, and dog control $885.
For the highway department, total salaries would stay the same at $350,000 and benefits would increase $9,400 (4.5%) to $217,835. Benefits are state retirement, social security, and medical insurance. Of the highway appropriations, labor (wages and benefits) would account for $0.568 million or 41.4%, which would be 31.6 % of the total budget.
Highway capital expenses would increase by net $20,000: equipment maintenance increasing by $30,000 and machinery decreasing by $10,000.
Appropriations and revenues for the hamlet of Treadwell would be unchanged from 2020. Expenditures for water and light of $26,750 would be partially offset by revenues of $11,015. The balance of $15,735 would be a subsidy paid by all Franklin landowners.
With only these small changes, the 2021 budget would be similar to that of 2020, with highway department receiving $1.371 million (76.2%), all other town accounts (general) $0.401 million (22.3%), and Treadwell light and water $0.027 million (1.5%). The proportion of budget for the department rose about a percent.