|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
No growth allowed in Franklin County budget
by John Derrick, Wake Weekly Staff Writer
The Franklin County property tax rate will remain at 99.95 cents, according to the proposed county budget for 2003-2004, but allows no room for added needs -- such as school construction projects -- from high residential growth.
"We've got to balance the services provided with the costs," County Manager Richard Self said of his budget at the county commissioners' meeting Monday night. The 99.95-cent rate will cost residents almost $1,000 on a $100,000 house. The current rate is lower than the maximum of $1.50 set by the state. The proposed budget of almost $60 million is a "base" budget. "It took a lot to get to that point," said Self, praising the departments which helped him prepare the proposal-which cuts no jobs. No jobs were cut in the proposed budget, although, one position, that of assistant county manager, was controversially cut by three members of the board. While it would not raise taxes, the budget would not allow for the growth of the county's population, capital projects or all the needs of the schools, according to Self. Above the base budget, a list of "growth" items were presented for the county commissioners to consider. These items total almost $3.1 million and would add about 12.5 cents to the tax rate. Although the increase in the population of Franklin County continues to stress the budget for services, "the growth in tax base has been minimal, less than inflation," Self wrote in his budget message. To help keep taxes down in a county which would be greatly aided by any increase in tax base brought by industry, Self presented some ways to cut costs. Self wants county property values evaluated more frequently than the current eight-year cycle. To do this, the county is planning to move to in-house revaluations every four years. "Currently, the county is over 30 percent below market value on much of the property," writes Self in the budget. The last evaluation was in 1998, according to County Finance Director Chuck Murray. Also, the county wants to move towards being self-insured for worker's compensation, which would hopefully be cheaper. This does include an umbrella policy to cover catastrophic claims. To help reduce workplace accidents and worker's compensation claims, county Safety Officer Randy Likens has been hired. The county is also trying to raise its fund balance. This balance allows for emergencies such as fires and storms as well as cash flow. Currently, the balance is at about 12 percent, or $5.5 million, down from a high in 2001 of $7.7 million. The State minimum requirement is eight percent, and the county's goal is 17 to 25 percent. Under the base budget, events at Parks and Recreation facilities would be left to individuals, not the cash-strapped county. Tournaments which have been losing money were cut from the budget. The base budget includes Internet access to the information of the register of deeds. The cost of this improvement will be spread over several years. Also included are funds for legal defense against suits over county districting and prayer before commissioner meetings. Self recommends that the county join both the Triangle J Councils of Government and the more rural Kerr-Tar Councils of Government. This would give the county "a seat at the table and a vote at the table" with other local governments on issues such as growth. Additions to the budget would give schools more money to cover current expenses, as well as money for capital outlay. Other major items on the list include the Franklin County Sheriff's Department's wish for more personnel, including four new deputies, as well as computer equipment and vehicles. Other departments would also like new vehicles to help replace older, more maintenance-intensive ones. The space needs of the board of elections and the register of deeds could be alleviated by items on the growth budget, which would also fund a state referendum on senate terms. Funds could also be used "to continue and strengthen efforts to attract and retain industry in the county," according to Self. The Triangle Land Conservancy could also receive funds to protect environmentally sensitive land. The growth list also includes land acquisition for the Recreation Department, as well as more personnel for the Aging Department, Detention Center and the Library Department, which would also like assistance towards a new bookmobile. Editor's Note: The board will meet again on Thursday, June 5, at 2 p.m. to discuss the implementation of a pay and classification study for county employees. The board will again meet the following Tuesday, June 10, at 1:30 to hear department bids for additional funding. Both meetings will be in the commissioner's meeting room in the county administrative building in Louisburg. The budget may be found on the Franklin County webpage: www.co.franklin.nc.us/
Last Updated On: June 5, 2003
Copyright 2003 The Wake Weekly