Franklin council adopts permit-fee increases averaging about 9%, effective Jan. 1

The City of Franklin Common Council on Dec. 2 approved ordinances to repeal and recreate fee schedules for building, plumbing and electrical permits, citing a consumer-price-index-based increase that averages about 9%.

A city director told the council that permit fees had not increased since February 2022 and that the proposed changes were benchmarked against surrounding municipalities to avoid exceeding local norms. "Based off the consumer price index to raise the fees on average of 9%," the director said during the presentation.

Council members asked for clarifications about the technology fee wording on the building-permit schedule after one alderman observed that the building schedule omitted language that the plumbing and electrical schedules included. The director agreed that adding consistent verbiage would be a simple fix. Finance-related questions centered on how much permit revenue the city collected in the prior calendar year; staff provided a combined figure that included impact fees ($2,324,867) and estimated that a 9% increase on that combined amount would equal about $209,238, while noting that impact fees will not be raised at 9% and that the number is therefore skewed.

Council approved three separate motions—one for each ordinance—by voice vote. Each ordinance will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026 unless otherwise amended.