Franklin has had to make cuts to its proposed 2013 budget after finding out the city will get less money than expected next year.
The city will take in about $300,000, or 2 percent, less than it had planned to spend on salaries, office supplies and other operating expenses in 2013.
To make up for the shortfall, the city council has decided to cut salary raises, which ranged from 2 percent to 11 percent, that had been proposed and instead give employees a one-time stipend paid for with money in savings.
The council also cut one position from the budget and is taking steps to shift a fire hydrant fee to residents’ water bills instead of the city paying the annual bill, which is more than $560,000.
Those three cuts lower the proposed budget from $14.3 million to about $13.7 million, nearly making up for the shortfall.
The council has approved eliminating the position, but the members still need to decide how much each employee will receive in the stipend and if residents will start paying the fire protection fee.
The council will make a proposal to pass the fee on to residents at its next meeting and will vote at the Nov. 1 meeting. If the proposal is approved, residents will start paying $4.12 a month on their water bills early next year.
