Franklin County commissioners are considering a total budget of more than $180 million, which includes adding more than a dozen new county employees, calling for new fees and increases in others, and setting the property tax rate at .505 per $100 valuation.
Franklin County Manager Kim Denton’s May 20 budget presentation calls for just slightly more
than the revenue-neutral rate of .4991 per $100.
And although the budget includes taking more than $4.1 million from the fund balance – $2.3 million of which will be used for capital purchases – it’s still $1.3 million less than was taken last year.
As part of her presentation, Denton shared data about the county’s overall growth – with a 4.1 percent annual growth rate, Franklin is the fastest growing county in the Triangle area, the 3rd fastest growing in the state and the 61st fastest growing county in the nation, according to Census data.
On the expense side of things, $873,193 will be spent to add 13 new full-time employees, including an animal cruelty investigator, as well as staff in IT and facilities management. The county’s departments requested a total of 34 new vehicles during the budget process, and the budget includes more than $1.6 million to purchase 23 vehicles.
Franklin County Schools requested $33 million and the proposed budget includes $29,259,067.
On the revenue side, new fees – several of which are for storage, towing and more at the airport – will be introduced effective July 1.
Animal adoption fees are going up, but fees will be waived for TNVR feral cat adoptions.
It’ll cost $30 to revoke membership in the county’s Voluntary Ag District program and the $5 fee for gun permits has been dropped – residents will be able to get gun permits free of charge.
Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 3 at regular scheduled board meeting. Residents are invited to view the livestream broadcast of the meeting and to submit comments about the budget via a public portal found on the county’s website www.franklincountync.gov.
The budget may be adopted at the end of the June 3 meeting or at the June 17 commissioners’ meeting.
View the complete budget document at www.franklincountync.gov.