The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
By Mayor Phil Kramer.
I would like to thank John Felix, Bill Grippo, and Pat Heimall for their thoughtful comments regarding the Franklin Township Gazebo. I especially appreciate the constructive tone of their letters and their continued passion for a project that means so much to our community. In a time when public discussion too often descends into blame and hostility, their comments were offered in the spirit of stewardship and civic pride.
The Gazebo is, without question, one of the cultural centerpieces of Franklin Township. It exists because volunteers cared enough to dream big and work hard. John, Bill, Michael Steinbruck, and many others devoted countless hours to fundraising, planning, and construction. The Township was proud to support those efforts from the beginning, and I remain grateful for what this partnership between volunteers, donors, and local government accomplished together.
Their letters also provide an opportunity to discuss a challenge that occupies much of my attention each year: balancing the municipal budget.
The Township Council is constantly working to balance four competing priorities — public safety, services, taxes, and the Township’s long-term financial stability. Public safety must always come first, but the remaining priorities continuously pull decision-making in different directions. Residents understandably want excellent services while also wanting taxes kept as low as possible. Those two goals pull at each other.
What many residents may not realize is that while the Township collects property taxes, we retain only about 13–14% of the total tax bill, with another roughly 3% dedicated to open space. The remaining majority goes primarily to the school system and county government. Yet with that limited municipal share, the Township, amongst other things, paves, plows and repairs roads, maintains parks and fields, cuts roadside grass for visibility and safety, supports recreation programs and youth services, provides construction and zoning oversight, conducts restaurant inspections, manages recycling and sanitation services, and maintains what I believe is the finest police department in New Jersey.
And yes, we maintain the Gazebo and surrounding grounds. In recent years, the Township has invested significant time and resources into the Gazebo area, including:
- Weed control/grass fertilization – completed twice a year usually in spring and summer/fall – $850.00
- Hydroseeding – we last hydroseeded last fall – $500.00 in materials
- Trash – we do the trash runs for the municipal complex on Mondays and Fridays. For other events during the week, for trash requests, we are notified by Rec for a special pickup. Sometimes weekend events leave a lot of work for Monday.
- Sidewalk – recently requested to connect to the back and front existing sidewalks, – $3,200
- Water Tap – at the request of the Somerset County Master Gardeners and the Franklin Women’s Club, who created and agreed to maintain the Gazebo landscaping/pollinator garden – $6,500
- Mowing – is completed every 7-10 days or as necessary.
- Landscaping – as requested, moved landscaping originally planted by Fama’s Nursery as part of the original construction of the Gazebo and under the direction of the Gazebo committee, which had grown too tall on the left side, for spectator visibility
- Field lighting installed at a cost of $28,525
- Interior Gazebo lighting installed at a cost of $17,673
- Given the issues regarding birds roosting and nesting in the Gazebo, devices are going to be installed on the interior beams to deter the birds.
Cleaning of the Gazebo was already scheduled for this week prior to Memorial Day.
I also want to acknowledge and thank the Somerset County Master Gardeners and the Franklin Women’s Club, who volunteered to create and maintain the pollinator garden area. Their efforts have been greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, this spring’s unusual weather patterns — including warm temperatures, followed by damaging frost — negatively affected landscaping throughout the region, including orchards and gardens across Somerset County.
None of this is intended as an excuse. The Gazebo is important and maintaining it matters. Although the Gazebo was donated, the town has invested at least an equal share to its maintenance and improvement. But it is important for residents to understand that every service the Township provides exists within the reality of limited staffing, competing priorities, and difficult budget choices. In fact, this year’s proposed budget did not include filling two currently vacant DPW positions, a reminder that every discussion about taxes also affects the level of services government can provide. Sometimes items such as Gazebo lighting has to wait in order to purchase an out of service snowplow.
Many of DPW’s tasks are mundane but maintaining the Gazebo is a source of pride for them and I know this and thank them. I visited the Gazebo on Wednesday afternoon to see for myself what the problem was. Too late, DPW already had it sparkling clean. Come to the Memorial Day parade and see for yourself.
The Franklin Township Gazebo remains a symbol of what this community can accomplish when people work together. I share the belief expressed by John, Bill and Pat that it should continue to be a place of pride, beauty, and gathering for generations to come. The Township remains committed to maintaining and improving this important community landmark.
