Merging the township with Franklin would have prevented annexation of any more property along Union Road in the Interstate 75 corridor by Middletown.

About 76 percent, or 4,157 voters, in Franklin Township voted against the merger , according to unofficial results.

Rupert Ruppert, chairman of the merger commission and a Franklin Township trustee, said the board of elections had failed to put the merger issue on the ballot in the city.

Franklin's city manager, Jim Lukas, agreed.

Not true, said Susan Johnson, Board of Elections director, on Wednesday. She said everything that should have been on the ballot was, including a charter amendment to allow for the merger.

Voters in the city supported a charter amendment 2,958 to 1,627, which asked, "shall charter be amended to conditions of merger proposed by Franklin/Franklin Township merger commission?"

Regardless, the merger had to pass in both the city and the township to succeed.

"We're disappointed just because of what we perceived as the numerous advantages to both the city and township residents," said Lukas said.

Ruppert said voters won't likely see the issue again any time soon.

"Given the overwhelming rejection by the township, I can't imagine anyone putting it back on the ballot in the foreseeable future," he said.

Residents of the two communities voted in November 2003 to elect a merger commission to study the possibility. That commission recommended that the issue go before voters.

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