The Franklin City Finance Committee approved a package of recommended departmental reductions and policy directions Oct. 28, as staff and aldermen worked to meet a 5% reduction target ahead of the citys 2026 budget adoption.

Staff presented an updated memorandum with corrected amounts and typos and said departments submitted roughly $1,280,000 in requests; the 5% reduction target across departments equates to about $580,000. Committee members discussed a range of possible reductions and efficiency measures and voted to approve the list of recommendations and send them to the full council for consideration.

Key decisions and directions

- Freeze on midyear raises for 2026: Committee directed staff to implement a temporary policy that midyear pay increases will be frozen for 2026 and that any pay changes should be proposed at budget time and take effect Jan. 1. Members said they will bring a draft policy to the next finance meeting.

- Staffing freezes and targeted vacancies: The committee recommended freezing certain vacant positions for FY2026 as a first step toward the 5% target. Examples discussed included an engineering 0.5 FTE administration assistant, an inspections plumbing inspector position (to remain off-budget until further notice), and select DPW vacancies. Committee members warned those vacancies should be monitored because DPW and field crew staffing affects snow response and capital project delivery.

- Police and fire staffing: Police recommended freezing two patrol officers, one community service officer and one dispatcher. Fire presented three options for filling three vacancies (fill all by April; stagger April/August; fill all by August). Fire asked that the committee restore $40,000 of overtime funding to account for foreseeable family leaves and a known National Guard deployment; the committee adjusted its recommendation to favor a staggered hire plan that brings two hires in April and one in August to reduce overtime pressure.

Staff warned that falling below certified staffing levels can affect the citys eligibility for state supplemental aid tied to maintenance‑of‑effort. Committee members were told the penalty for non‑compliance can be material — staff estimated an example 15% reduction in shared revenue would equal roughly $225,000 based on current payments — and asked staff to compile the calculations and meet with public‑safety chiefs before final council action.

- Municipal buildings cleaning contract and custodial options: Committee discussed suspending the current Dust Free cleaning contract, soliciting competitive bids, and whether the municipal building custodian (Joe) could take on more duties with a wage adjustment. The committee directed staff to prepare an RFP for janitorial services and to coordinate with the library on potential staffing/cost sharing.

- Newsletter, printers and communications: Members discussed reducing the mailed newsletter circulation to save postage and print costs. Staff reported the 2024 newsletter expenses were about $29,000, of which the school district paid roughly $6,000. The committee recommended a 25% reduction to the newsletter line with the plan to provide printed copies at libraries, senior centers, and City Hall and to improve online access.

- Fee schedule and municipal court fees: Staff recommended the inspections department assemble a single, citywide fee schedule and asked the municipal court to submit a fee revision to the council so changes could be implemented by Jan. 1. Committee members asked the court to return a fee proposal before the end of the year.

Votes and next steps

Committee members moved and seconded the recommended package and approved it by voice vote. Staff said they will present the finalized recommendations to the full council on Nov. 4 and the budget adoption schedule remains the council meeting of Nov. 11 (public hearing). Leftover excess revenue will be placed in an unrestricted contingency to allow the city to respond to personnel‑related emergencies without a midyear ordinance, subject to council approval.

Public comment

Before the formal agenda, resident Tom Taylor spoke during citizen comment to urge caution on expanding TIF districts, warning that adding TIFs without careful review could strain police, fire and public works and called on the committee to scrutinize new TIF requests with public‑safety impacts in mind. "I never been a fan of TIF districts," Taylor said as he urged the committee to "put every TIF district under a microscope."

Why it matters: The committees recommendations will shape the 2026 budget presented to the council and affect near‑term hiring, overtime funding, and service delivery. The discussion also highlighted a potentially large fiscal risk if staffing levels fall below the thresholds required for state supplemental aid.