Franklin County AFFLUENT GOVERNMENT 12.24.07

12/24/2007
An Affluent County


There probably are some residents of Franklin County who are unaware of the fact that we live in a county with an affluent government. One only has to look at the 2008 county budget to become aware of that fact.
The county commission adopted a $63.9 million 2008 spending budget last week. When the anticipated revenue is considered, along with the projected spending, Franklin is an affluent county.Few counties and private businesses can give a pay hike to its employees amounting to 5.7 percent. Franklin County has done that. It is called a "cost of living" increase. That amount is higher than most "cost of living" increases we have heard about.The county plans to spend $10,774,000 in 2008 on roads and bridges. That money will go for replacement of four bridges, 30 miles of road surface treatment and 60 more miles of converting gravel roads to hard surface. How many counties can afford to do that? The answer is very few.Franklin County will add more deputies and update equipment in the sheriff's department, including car computer systems, and will have anticipated income of $5.5 million from a half-cent sales tax in 2008.Many county offices are housed in a new Government Center building that cost $8 million. Construction is under way on an $8.4 million Judicial Center building, due to be completed in 2008. In the coming year, work is expected on renovating the old courthouse building at an estimated cost of $2.5 million. Work also is expected to begin on adding space at the county jail-estimated cost $2.6 million.These are the major expenditures in the new budget. How can the county afford all this spending? It is borrowing money guaranteed by voter-approved sales taxes. The new improvements, including road paving, will require considerably more expenses for maintenance. There will be some savings by vacating rental space. The county couldn't do any of this without voter approval of three sales taxes-now all half-cent levies. They are for the general revenue fund, capital improvements (roads and bridges) and law enforcement. In total, they are expected to produce about $16.5 million in 2008.The county also has revenue from its property taxes, which under reassessment usually increases considerably every other year. The budget lists tentative property tax rates of 0.1173 per $100 valuation for general revenue and 0.1941 for the road and bridge fund. In the future, the county should consider reducing those levies even more than is required by the phony state rollback provision. That would bring some relief to taxpayers, realizing that more than 70 percent of the property taxes go to public school districts. The truth is the county can still do very well even with reducing its property tax levies. We remember when the sales taxes were approved, voters were told that it may be possible to eliminate the property taxes altogether. We are not advocating that but there is no doubt here that they can be cut more than what is in the new budget. The county owes it to property taxpayers to give them more relief.The county is in good financial shape now, thanks to the voters who have provided the sales taxes. We remember what a veteran county official told us some years ago. "It's much easier to govern when you have the money." Franklin County has the money now. It also is incurring added operating and maintenance costs in buildings and roads, but the strong belief is that property taxes can be rolled back more and should be. The end of the road has been reached as far as going to taxpayers for more money is concerned.

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