Council mulls budget options

The need for two new fire trucks was the primary discussion during the Franklin Town Council budget workshop on Monday evening.

Town Manager Amie Owens presented a list of capital requests that included a new pumper truck and a new pumper/tanker for Franklin Fire and Rescue. It was initially suggested that $200, 000 of the $500, 000 be paid out of the general fund with the remainder coming out of the Fire Department Fund. However, Vice Mayor Joe Collins said the general fund should not be used to pay for the truck, as fire department expenses are funded by the fire tax.

"I do not want the general fund of the town to pay extra for the fire department, more than what people pay from the fire district tax," Collins said. He also suggested the department look at purchasing used trucks rather than new ones.

It was pointed out that the other fire departments in the county do not have a municipality they can request funds from. Collins said it sets a bad precedent if the town starts allocating money for the department.

"If the county sees we're subsidizing the district, they might be less likely to support a (fire) tax increase request," Collins said.

Fire Chief Ben Ormond reported at the March council meeting that the town was behind on its fire apparatus replacement schedule. None of the department's trucks are NFPA compliant because they are more than 10 years old.

The newest truck was purchased in 2012 and should go on reserve status in 2027. Even if the town ordered a new truck now, the chief said it would be two to three years before delivery.

"The reason fire trucks have a lifespan, more importantly than their ability to put out fires, is to keep people safe - mainly the ones driving them and riding them," Ormond said during Monday's meeting.

Ormond said the department had received an estimate from the county that the new revenue-neutral fire tax rate would be.0522. Last year the county approved a fire tax rate increase from.0545 to.07 for the Franklin fire department. The increase helped fund three full-time firefighters and capital purchases.

Ormond and Assistant Chief Justin Setser said it was unlikely the county would approve a rate increase again this year since the department received an increase last year.There are departments that have gone years without an increase," Ormond said.

Mayor Jack Horton said, We hope the county will step up and do what it's supposed to do and fully fund the fire department."

Several council members pointed out the town built a new substation that benefits county residents.That ought to be worth something," Collins said.

Council member David Culpepper took issue with the fact that the district needs equipment, but they are at the mercy of the county commissioners deciding if the department should receive the needed funds.

"It jus t seems totally backwards that they control the purse strings," he said.

The county hears requests from the fire departments each year during the budget process.

"If the county doesn't do the right thing, what do we do? asked council member Stacy Guffey.At the end of the day, if the county doesn't step up, I'm not comfortable walking away from the fact that we need two fire trucks."

The mayor replied, If they don't, we'll have to see what else we can do."

Other capital requests totaled $140, 279 from the general fund, which included a new patrol car ($50, 000), parking lot improvements at Whitmire ($40, 000), replacement tasers ($11, 829), replacement rifles ($3, 400), IT equipment ($23, 000), mutable microphones and timing system ($5, 800), and sharing the cost of a new mower with the street department ($6, 250). Tax rate Following the county's property revaluation, Owens said the town's revenue neutral rate for 2023-24 is estimated to be 28 cents per $100 value. She recommended a rate of.33 per $100 value in order to fund the budget items presented during the workshop.

Owens will prepare a budget to present to the council for review at its regular meeting next month, however, the numbers and tax rate are subj ect to change based on the final property value total received from the county and what is needed to balance the budget. She pointed out the property tax rate applies only to the general fund budget; it does not include the fire department fund or the water/sewer fund.

"We budget very conservatively," she said. The town currently has a 97% collection rate, however the mayor said in revaluation years the collection percentage is not as high and people are slow to pay their taxes.

The town must adopt the 2023-2024 budget by June 30. The county will continue to hear revaluation appeals through May.

The next regular Franklin Town Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday, May 1 in the board room on the lower level of Town Hall.

Budget requests Owens presented $607, 642 in budget increases that she said were largely out of the town's control such as insurance, retirement contributions, workers compensation and other various fees.This is j ust basic stuff," she said.

Included in that amount is $315, 000 to adj ust salaries as recommended by the town's recent salary study.

Council member Mike Lewis said the town had committed to the salary study and needs to take care of its employeesLet's find it somewhere," he said of the extra funds needed for the salaries.

Other budget items discussed included: Whitmire Recreation Plan On April 14, the town broke ground on the new skatepark, which is a primary part of the plan for the Whitmire property, located off First Street. Included in the budget is $40, 000 for parking and $50, 000 to finish funding for the park. The town has received a $50, 000 reimbursement grant to use toward the proj -ect. The town could also apply for an accessibility grant that requires a 20% match and a PARTF grant that requires a 50% match.

The overall plan for the proj ect also includes items the public identified during public meetings and a survey in February. Some of those amenities include a farmer's market/multi-use pavilion, an all-inclusive playground, restrooms, pickleball courts, climbing wall, walking trails, picnic and meditation spaces. The estimate to develop the total plan would be about $6.5 million.

"The good news is that we do not have to do it all at once," said Culpepper, who has been one of the people leading the charge for more recreational options. He said some items might not be needed at Whitmire or altered depending on what the county does with its recreational facilities.

Related to the discussion about the fire trucks, Council Member Rita Salain questioned the budget for recreation when the town doesn't have the money to pay for the needed trucks.

"A fire truck is more important than a recreation facility, but it's paid for out of two different pots of money," Culpepper replied.

Sidewalks/Paving Plan The council has approved $350, 000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for sidewalks. A Request for Proposals has been drafted for sidewalk repairs along Harrison Avenue, a portion of Maple Street, and Phillips Street (from Panther Drive to West Palmer) in 2023-24.

The town plans to use $100, 000 in Powell Bill Funds for paving/sidewalks on First Street to improve access to the Whitmire property. An additional $120, 000 from general fund will be budgeted for sidewalk repairs for ADA compliance and safety.

The capital request budget also included $20, 000 from Powell Bill funds for a plow/spreader attachment for a truck.

Water/Sewer Fund The water/sewer fund budget included $202, 400 in capital improvement requests with the largest ticket item being a one-ton flatbed replacement truck ($45, 000).

The budget also included $3.7 million from the water/sewer retained earnings for a clear well replacement at the water treatment plant.

Culpepper asked if the town could apply for a grant to help pay for the proj ect. Owens said the grant process would delay the repairs.

"We have the money to do that," she said.

"At this point we need it."

ARPA money The town received $1.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money and has used $409, 721 of that amount. Another $350, 000 has been approved for sidewalks, but not yet spent.

The town must appropriate the remaining funds by Dec. 31, 2024. Some of the suggested uses were paving of the new section of the Greenway at Allman Drive ($160, 000), assisting with the implementation of the salary study, and offsetting the cost of the fire truck purchases. However, Owens cautioned against using the money for salaries because that will be an ongoing cost in the budget after the ARPA money is depleted.

Culpepper suggested using the money as a match toward grants received for the Greenway and/or Whitmire proj ects.

ABC store During its retreat in February, the council had listed a potential new location for the ABC store as one of its priorities. However, at Monday's meeting it was decided to put that on hold in the coming year due to other priorities that need to be addressed.

Other requests Other budget requests to be considered include $75, 000 to prepare and landscape the site for the Women's History Trail sculpture that has been donated to the town, $9, 000 to the Franklin Garden Club for increasing the work they do in beautifying areas around town, $10, 000 for a portable sound stage that could be used at town events, and $10, 000 to assist No Wrong Door with establishing a warming/cooling station. Additionally, Macon Transit has requested assistance for its Gem Route that runs through town, and the town is looking to partner with the county to improve the gazebo and surrounding area on town square. No dollar amounts were suggested for those items.