Franklin County Passes New FY17 Budget With No Tax Increases

Franklin County now has a new budget for FY2017

A final budget was presented to the commissioners at their work session Tuesday evening by County Manager Beth Thomas.

Thomas said there were only minor changes made to the budget since her initial presentation and those changes did not impact the final numbers.

“There were a few modifications made from the (initial) proposal based on comments made there at the meeting and thus afterward. I’ve tracked each one of those changes and provided documentation…very minimal changes. We did find the money for the commercial property revaluation. We did that by removing gravel and there were a few minor line items that we were able to adjust,” Thomas told the Board.

The FY17 budget is $12.3 million – down from FY16 budget which was $13.2 million.

That is a difference of $908,000.

At their meeting earlier this month, Thomas explained the difference has to do with a loss in sales tax revenue and stagnant real growth in the county.

After hearing from Thomas, Commissioner Jeff Jacques made the motion to approve the budget for 2017, noting in his motion there will be no tax increases in FY17.

Board members approved the new FY17 unanimously.

Franklin County’s new fiscal year begins July 1.