Franklin County approves budget after four and a half hours of deliberations

The Franklin County Commission has approved its budget for the next year but there were times during the nearly 4 and a half hour budget hearing that it seemed board members would not reach a consensus. 

The 32.8 million dollar budget was approved 4 to 1 with Commissioner Pinki Jackel voting against it. 

The amount that will be paid by local taxpayers is a little over 9.8 million dollars.

Next year’s millage was set at 5.96, representing about a 4 and a half percent tax increase. 

The board did manage to cut about 100 thousand dollars before approving the final numbers.

That money will come from loan payments from Weems Memorial Hospital.

Commissioners had hoped to trim a half million dollars before approving the budget – that was the amount needed to not increase local taxes - but each time a commissioner made a proposal it met with resistance from other members of the board.

The commission discussed a number of ideas including an across the board cut of all county and constitutional offices, changing to the insurance county workers get, and even making employees pay for their own dental insurance, but in the end all of the proposals were dropped.

Commissioners even discussed the idea of not approving a budget at all and instead letting the governor’s office make the final decision.

That idea was scrapped after tax collector James Harris said not approving a millage would impact tax collections for both cities and the school system and would have a major impact to the county.

Local resident Alan Pfeiffer also spoke against letting the state decide the county budget arguing that that decision would make statewide news and be an embarrassment to the county.

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