The Franklin County budget committee will hold a public hearing on a proposed nearly $13 million spending package at 5 p.m. on May 27 at the Emergency Operations Center at 120 Community Way in Farmington.

The proposal cuts $64,011 from the plan given to the committee from commissioners. After factoring in revenue, the general county government budget is nearly $8 million and the jail budget is $3.3 million, which equals an 11.1% and 11.7% increase, respectively.

The proposal represents an estimated tax assessment of $11.3 million, which equals an estimated tax rate of nearly $1.41 per $1,000 of property valuation — about 2 cents above the current tax rate.

The Budget Advisory Committee eliminated $31,011 in flex benefits for commissioners and $30,000 for a consultant for a countywide communications study, Jamie Sullivan, county administrative assistant, said.

The committee eliminated flex benefits last year as well. However, some commissioners continued to collect it until December, when they were requested to pay it back.

Added to the budget was about $28,000 for family paid leave that was originally omitted, Sullivan said.

The committee kept a 2.85% cost-of-living increase for commissioners and a $600 annual stipend for the chairperson, she said. Each of the five commissioners are paid $12,000 a year. If the increase is approved, they would each receive $12,572 beginning July 1, with the chairperson receiving the additional stipend.

The budget panel recommended the money for a consultant to do the communications study be taken from interest earned on American Rescue Plan Act money, Sullivan said.

A consultant is expected to cost about $100,000 to determine how to improve the county communications system.

The budget panel also reduced Healthy Community Coalition’s request to $10,000 and suggested the coalition request funding from the county’s tax-increment financing program or opioid settlement fund, she said.

Following the public hearing, the Budget Advisory Committee will finalize a spending plan and send it back to commissioners. Changes by commissioners need to be approved by three of the five commissioners. The budget would then go back to the committee, with eight out of the 11 members needed to override commissioners. That action would be final.

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