Franklin Township residents will see a $45 increase in their garbage collection rates next year.

However, senior citizens will not be affected by the increase, township supervisors assured at Tuesday’s meeting.

On a unanimous vote, supervisors approved a resolution setting the garbage fees for 2026. That action will raise the rate from $275 to $320.

Before the vote, resident Jill Renfrew questioned whether the board wanted to do that before the budget is reviewed by the public and OK’d.

Supervisor Fred Kemmerer Jr. said that the way he always looks at garbage is it’s a stand-alone entity and doesn’t cross over into the township’s general fund.

“I look at it as something that if we find ourselves having problems with it, we can change those rates in just minutes with the stroke of a pen to do so,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “I feel comfortable with it because we dove into the garbage a lot.”

Board Chairman Jason Frey concurred and said they ran the numbers quite a few times, and that it’s the same as the township’s sewer in that it’s sustainable.

“I feel real comfortable with this,” Frey said. “I know it’s an increase, but we know as well as anybody the tipping rates are going to go up.”

Frey said the township plans to offer two ways for people to pay their garbage: They can pay $320 upfront, or can make two separate payments of $170.

However, Frey stressed the senior citizen rate will remain at $170.

Kemmerer Jr. said that the township has raised the rate the last three years.

“And you look at the drastic increases other municipalities have where they’re doubling (rates),” Kemmerer Jr. said. “We’re doing it in a manner that is baby steps, but necessary baby steps.

“I wouldn’t want to be the person at any moment to say ‘your garbage doubles.’ I think that we’ve been very, very good with doing it as needed.”

Frey added that by the township doing it themselves, it saves everybody a lot of money.

Kemmerer said that the township bought a brand-new garbage truck and is in the garbage business.

“The other thing we’re adamant on making sure is that the senior rate (is not affected), and I know that Jason feels the same way,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “That’s something that we’ll never do.”

Frey said costs are rising in municipalities across the area.

“So everything is going up from what we’ve seen from other municipalities,” Frey said. “So, we’re anticipating it.”

Kemmerer Jr. said hopefully that will get the township through with what it’s done with the resolution and help it through next year.

“And hopefully we can do some good negotiations,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “It’s pretty tough because there’s not many games in town.

“So it’s not really something that we could negotiate against and it’s almost, in mind, unfair that all of us, all the municipalities, are at their mercy. It’s a tough situation for us.”

Tax action

The board will hold a special meeting Dec. 30 to set the tax rate.

At a special meeting earlier this month, the board on a 2-0 vote approved the 2026 budget presentation to the public for their review.

Residents are likely to not see an increase in their municipal tax rates next year.

Proposed general fund expenditures are projected at $2,787,310, while projected revenues are at $2,754,099, a difference of about $33,000.

Frey said after that meeting there would be no tax increase, with the possibility of a 1-mill tax decrease, as the proposed budget carryover is $936,000.

However, Frey noted that the township’s garbage had a shortfall in it, due to a previous decision to budget delinquents that would generate revenue of $80,900, but only $38,000 of that came in this year.

Supervisors have been concerned about a tax increase.

In March, supervisors rescinded a 1-mill tax increase, but restored it in April because of a procedural error.

Frey said he thought the increase was wrong when the board had a $500,000 surplus, and then proposed that it eliminate the 1-mill tax increase that had previously been approved for this year.

But township solicitor Tom Nanovic said at the March meeting that by not having the matter on the agenda, he wasn’t sure if the board could take such action.

In December 2024, the former board of supervisors adopted this year’s budget with a 1-mill increase that raised the township’s millage rate from 7.64 to 8.64 mills.