FC budget adds waste into taxes

Though there is neither a tax increase nor a tax cut in the proposed Franklin County budget released Friday, there are some significant changes.

County Manager Richard Self has simplified the county's taxes and solid waste fees, making them a little higher for intown residents and a little lower for those who live outside towns.

Self is proposing a tax rate of 99.95 cents per $100 valuation for an overall tax that includes the solid waste fund and equalizes it for all county residents.

The proposed tax rate would result in a property tax bill of $1,449.28 for a house with a tax value of $145,000.

At present, county residents outside of towns pay the countywide property tax -- 94.5 cents per $100 -- plus another 8 cents for the solid waste fund. It allowed residents to either take their own trash to a county convenience center or have it collected by a private firm. The private firms were charged $15 a ton to dump the garbage at the convenience centers.

Residents in towns did not pay the 8 cents for solid waste. Towns collected garbage for their residents and were charged $43.45 per ton to discharge it at convenience centers.

Under Self's plan, all collecters will pay $43.45 per ton to dump the garbage.

The county estimates it will pay $1,652,510 this coming year to haul the garbage to the regional landfill.

The proposed budget, which is $58 million, up from $55.8 million last year, only contains one major capital item -- the previously obligated solid waste transfer system.

Many agency requests were denied because they were not justified at this time, including the in-home aide program.

Also, many changes in the hours of operation were made to several groups. For example, the solid waste convenience centers will only be open 12 hours a day, four days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday), saving over $42,000 in the first seven months alone.

The bookmobile will only run three days a week instead of four, and the aging department has reduced home delivered meals to one day a week. The health department has also eliminated adult female non-Medicaid care.

Not all changes are decreases in hours and services. The tax department has added a night deposit box and the ability to accept credit cards.

The board of education received every penny requested, for a total capital outlay of $1,059,450. This appropriation includes the new Royal Elementary School operational expenses, excluding teachers which are part of the state budget.

Several agencies actually received additional employees as needed, including one telecommunicator, one animal control officer and one building code inspector.

Louisburg has worked well with the county, allowing for the funding of a zoning code enforcement officer to be shared between the town and the county.

Some fee increases proposed in the budget are as follows: overdue fines at the libraries from five cents to 10 cents and damaged audio cassette boxes from 50 cents to $3; septic tank permit fees to $225; boarding for all animals to $7 for the first day, $2.50 each additional day up to $25; land clearing to $10 per ton; shingles and yard waste to $25 per ton and the mulching of wood products will now be required and banned from transfer trailers to decrease damage and allow for recycling.

Many fee increases are also proposed for youth recreation, building and fire inspection permits.

Self's budget message stated the most notable change this year was county funds withheld by the state. In addition, the county has lost tax revenue because public utilities have received a reduction in taxable value of about $22,000,000. Also, Franklin County's tax values on property are well below average.

Finally, the county's share of Medicaid has increased by 21.7 percent, the demand for services has increased, the unemployment rate has increased and the county must provide for an increasing population, which all results in a revenue shortfall.

The entire proposed budget is posted on the Franklin County web site: www.co.franklin.nc.us.