Franklin Twp. levy would direct money to Twin Lakes area

Franklin Township is proposing two mills on a replacement levy for the Nov. 4 election that, if passed, would provide approximately $162,500 for road re-paving.

The ballot tax levy is for five years, and will fund a continuing road maintenance plan.

“We’ve got a regular re-paving program that’s about a five- to seven-year cycle where all the roads in the township are, in essence, re-paved,” Franklin Township Administrator Ken Penix said. “Actually, what we do is, on an annual basis we take a look at what roads need to be resurfaced . so the specific roads that we do is based on the condition of the roads each year.”

Target areas for this year’s ballot are mostly in the Twin Lakes area. The entire west Twin Lakes region, as well as the north side of east Twin Lakes, are leading candidates. Penix said roads in the northwest quadrant of the township are being looked at as well.

The total amount of paving that would be done amounts to roughly 4 1/4 miles. Re-paving consists of crews milling down the existing road and then placing new asphalt on top.

“What they do is they put about an inch and a half of asphalt directly on that which is there,” Penix said. “It’s not pothole by pothole, it’s just re-paving the entire thing.”

Both Hiram and Paris townships are proposing the same thing, but on a smaller scale. The two mills won’t provide as much money because property values in those townships are lower.

If the levies are passed, revenue from property taxes will be deposited in to a special purpose fund and then used for road repairs. For every $1,000 of taxable property value, the township will get $1 for roads.

Instead of re-paving entire sections, both townships would use the money to “maintain.”

“It’s kind of a road-by-road basis,” Tom Mattota, Hiram Township Road Supervisor, said. “We chip and seal our roads. We try to chip and seal half of our roads every year, so that’s an on-going maintenance thing. That’s where these levies contribute to.

“You have to call this more road maintenance, not road construction,” he added. “It’s not like we’re targeting to build a new road or anything. This is just on-going maintenance. This is just to try to offset the costs of fuel and labor costs and everything.”

Along with maintenance and re-paving, the levies would provide money for plowing and salting in the winter months. If passed, every dollar generated will be used.

Contact public affairs reporter Chris Gates at [email protected].