FARMINGTON — The Franklin County budget panel approved an overall $6.75 million budget for 2019-20 for the county and jail Wednesday.

The Budget Advisory Committee overrode the commissioners who had added $1,000 salary increase for Rosetta Thompson, executive director of the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District, County Clerk Julie Magoon said Thursday. The district’s budget stands at $20,000. Commissioners made the change to the budget June 18.

The budget panel did adjust the Probate Court budget a few hundred dollars, which occurred because of clerical errors.

The budget committee, made up of select board members from towns in the county, has the final say on spending.

The budget for the county, not including jail expenses, is $4.5 million, a $54,181 increase from the current budget. After factoring in $748,000 in anticipated revenue, the tax assessment is $3.75 million, county Financial Manager Vickie Braley said.

The budget for the Franklin County Detention Center (the jail) is $2.24 million, an increase of $134,744 from the current budget.

Taxes will be assessed on $1.86 million but should be assessed on $2 million. Because there is a tax cap on how much of an increase can be levied annually, Magoon said, taxes cannot be assessed on the higher amount.

She said there is a shortfall of $199,128 between what can be taxed and the actual spending plan. To make up the difference, money was taken from the jail reserve account. That leaves $28,700 in the jail’s fund balance, Braley told commissioners Tuesday.

Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the county courthouse to set the tax rate.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.