Franklin Co. Holding Three Public Hearings on Proposed Millage Increase

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

Three public hearings are scheduled in Franklin County on the Board of Commissioner’s plan to raise the millage in fiscal 2016.

The County’s new fiscal year began on July 1, but according to County Manager Beth Thomas, if the millage is not raised, the new fiscal budget will fall short to the tune of about $1.3 million.

At their work session last week, Thomas changed her original proposal of a weighted millage.

Thomas had initially recommended people living in the county have their property taxes raised some 2.99 mills and those in municipalities would have theirs raised 1.97 mills.

But Thomas said Monday that after some push back by citizens, she has changed that to one across-the-board increase of 2.67 mills for every property owner in the county.

“The millage increase for each district would be the same,” she said. “It is tentatively set at 2.67 mills across the board. This was not my decision. I proposed it one way but I agree that in the end it could be generated either by a weighted increase or an even increase. After listening to input from the public, the board decided to go with a more equitable increase.”

The increase will give unincorporated parts of the County a millage rate of 10.813 mills and a rate of 11.960 mills in municipalities.

At their meeting Monday night, the board agreed to hold three public hearings on dates recommended by Thomas.

“We are required to have two public hearings,” Thomas said. “We will have two of those on July 21. One at 10a and another at 6p. And the third one will be held at 5:30p prior to our regular work session at which point the board needs to vote on the millage increase,” Thomas said.

The third public hearing will take place on July 28th at 5:30p before the Board’s regular work session.

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