Franklin County OKs participation in NRCS voluntary buyout program, authorizes up to $300,000 local match

The Franklin County Fiscal Court voted to join a voluntary NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection buyout program and to approve a related contract amendment so ER Assist can manage applications and closings.

Judge Mueller said the court would authorize a local funding pot “not to exceed $300,000” to support buyouts for flood-damaged residences in the unincorporated parts of Franklin County. The money will cover the county’s share of administrative costs for up to an estimated 30 properties while the larger purchase price is expected to be mostly federally funded.

Erin McCauley of ER Assist, who briefed the court, said the NRCS process begins with a title search and appraisal based on pre‑flood market value. “It is a voluntary program,” she said. “People can sign up. They can accept, they can decline; they can back out until they sign the deed.” She added that primary residences also receive a comparable housing allowance of $31,000 on top of the appraisal in many cases.

Logan Stevens, the NRCS district conservationist, described the environmental and deed‑restriction steps that follow closing, saying the purchased land is permanently restricted to conservation uses: “It must go into grass or be planted with trees,” he said, and that the program requires demolition and proper site remediation before the land is conveyed to the county for non‑structural uses.

ER Assist asked the court to amend an existing contract (a task order) so the firm could manage the NRCS application and closing process; the amendment would increase the task order by $300,000 for the firm’s services but those management fees are reimbursable by NRCS. County staff and commissioners said the local commitment would come from reserves and might be budgeted across multiple years.

County staff and legal counsel clarified that the program applies to unincorporated Franklin County and that the county’s 25% local share of purchases is typical but that a separate state grant could cover 20% of the local share — leaving the county responsible for roughly 5% of admin costs (estimated at about $9,000–$11,000 per property in the county’s planning figures).

The court approved the amendments and the not‑to‑exceed local allocation by majority vote. The judges and staff said they will hold a town hall for property owners with staff from ER Assist and NRCS to explain timelines, duplication‑of‑benefits rules and the voluntary nature of the program.

The court’s authorization is procedural: it allows staff to proceed with applications and contracting. Any individual buyout remains voluntary and requires owner acceptance and a recorded deed restriction at closing.