Franklin county is just beginning to learn the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Franklin county is just beginning to learn the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Franklin County Commissioners last week were told of the decrease in the local bed tax and sales tax during the month of March when the COVID-19 quarantine began.

According to county finance director Erin Griffith, collections from the Tourist Development tax in March was just under 72 thousand dollars – about 56 percent of the amount collected in March, 2019, which was nearly 128 thousand dollars.

The tourist development tax is a 2 percent tax collected from all transient rentals in the county, including hotels, motels and rental homes.

The county's 1 percent sales tax for the health care trust fund was also down substantially.

Griffith said collections in March were just under 143 thousand dollars, down from over 203 thousand dollars in March, 2019.

Overall, local tax collections during the month of March were 70 percent of what they were the year before.

And the county will see less state money too.

The state shared revenue which funds about 12 percent of Franklin County's general fund was about 73 percent of the prior year payment.

The Florida Department of Revenue estimates the expected payments for April and May will be 50 percent lower than the same months in 2019.

If the estimate proves correct, the county is looking at a loss of over 130 thousand dollars for its general fund, 167 thousand dollars for the road camp, 264 thousand dollars for the health care trust fund and 242 thousand dollars for the tourist development tax.

County coordinator Michael Moron said the county could recoup about 738 thousand dollars through the federal CARES act, if the governor agrees to share the money equally to smaller counties, but added that the money could come with considerable strings attached.

Commissioners will have to address the shortfall during budget workshops in July and say they should have a much clearer picture of the actual losses then.

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