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Residents urge forensic audit of school board as public hearing draws questions about high city real‑estate tax rate
Summary
Two residents pressed council during citizens time for greater school-board transparency and a forensic audit; during a separate public hearing a resident presented data comparing Franklin's proposed real‑estate tax increases to surrounding counties and questioned the fairness of the change.
During citizens time at Monday’s meeting, two residents urged Franklin City Council to press the school division for greater transparency and to investigate alleged irregularities in school hiring and planning.
Pam Lee of 1313 Clay Street told the council she and other taxpayers “are once again urging this council to support a full forensic audit of the school board,” citing what she described as misleading student testing data, unequal raises, questionable financial choices and a recent decision to convert JP King Middle School into a CTE Academy with little public input.
Brenda Peterson, who said she lives in Ward 2, also criticized district practices and described a classroom culture in which students are treated as “data points” rather than children; she raised concerns about nepotism and hiring practices in the school system.
Later in the meeting, during a public hearing on the proposed real-estate tax rate, Ann Council Williams presented a comparison of Franklin’s current and proposed rates with neighboring counties and argued Franklin’s rate remains high. Williams calculated that, using a median home value of about $227,200, the city homeowner tax bill under the proposed rate would rise from approximately $2,340 to $2,431 annually and urged council to consider alternatives such as raising the sales tax so the burden is spread more broadly.
Council did not make immediate policy changes in response to the audit request or the tax hearing; members acknowledged the concerns and left open the possibility of further review as the FY26 budget process continues.
