Borough hires firm for reval

FRANKLIN — The borough council last week agreed on a contract to secure the firm that will conduct the borough’s scheduled property revaluation work during the coming months. Appraisal Systems Inc. of Morristown will be paid $155,970 to do the footwork and research this year. The actual figures, however, will not take effect until 2010, borough officials said. The work is expected to begin sometime this spring and conclude in the fall. Staff from Appraisal Systems Inc. will be “properly identified,” borough officials said. “They’ll be going door to door and making revaluations of the properties,” explained borough administrator Richard R. Wolak. Their job “will also include a photographic record of the exterior (only) of the property, which will ultimately be merged into our database of tax values.” He underscored that the company’s staff members will be carrying identification from their firm and from the borough. The property revaluation was ordered last year by the county; Franklin has not undergone revaluation work since 1996.