Franklin Co. Commission Passes FY 17 Budget

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Franklin County now has a new budget for Fiscal Year 2017.

A final budget was presented to the Franklin County 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.

Franklin County’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget is $12.3 million, down from the FY16 budget, which was $13.2 million.

That is a difference of $908,000.

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

After hearing from Thomas, Franklin County 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 budget unanimously.

Franklin County’s new fiscal year begins today.