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Residents press Franklin council over rising rental assessments and neighborhood safety
Summary
Three citizens told council about higher rental property assessments, personal safety incidents and neighborhood noise; one rental owner said assessments will raise his taxes by about $5,400 and another resident recounted being struck near the eye by a projectile and urged action.
Several residents used the meeting’s citizens’ time to press the Franklin City Council on property-assessment impacts and neighborhood safety.
Ronnie McClenny, who identified himself as a long-time Franklin resident and local rental property owner, said a recent reassessment left several of his rental properties unchanged in appeal and that his taxes will increase by about $5,400 a year. He told the council he keeps rents low to accommodate longtime tenants and said higher assessments will be passed down to renters. McClenny also criticized what he described as inefficient administrative practices, noting he received 22 denial letters with 69¢ postage each and questioned whether tax dollars are being spent responsibly.
Rachel Blow of 206 Cobb Street told council she is worried about children playing in the street, basketball goals placed at the roadside, toy guns that shoot projectiles and late-night motorbike noise that she said disturbs her sleep; she said she was struck near her eye by a projectile last year and urged the council and police to take action to protect children and enforce safety rules.
Gary Cross, chairman of the Chowan Basin Soil and Water Conservation District, asked the council to approve a memorandum of agreement that would allow agricultural producers whose land lies within Franklin city limits to continue accessing cost-share funding administered by the district; he said the change would impose no expense on the city and offered to coordinate with the city attorney and the attorney general’s office to prepare an MOA.
Councilmembers acknowledged the concerns and suggested staff follow up: to examine assessment appeal procedures and to contact HUD or inspectors for housing issues; they also agreed to collect contact information from Mr. Cross and review the proposed memorandum.
The citizens’ remarks prompted requests from council for more detailed follow-up from staff on assessments, code enforcement and potential policy options.
