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Franklin County residents press Board on budget, zoning protections and school funding at public hearing
Summary
At a public hearing April 14, Franklin County residents urged the Board of Supervisors to avoid tax hikes by trimming operating increases and preserving 1988 A‑1 agricultural zoning to protect farms and federal/state grant eligibility; the Board took no action.
Chair Lorie Smith opened the Franklin County Board of Supervisors' public hearing on the proposed FY 2026–2027 budget on April 14, announcing that no action would be taken that night. The advertised budget totals $254,921,797, with $197,193,329 in expenditure appropriations and $107,928,801 (54.73% of the subtotal) proposed for schools.
Why it matters: Residents who spoke asked the Board to find budget savings without raising taxes and warned that rezoning agricultural (A‑1) land for 'Village/Growth' areas could forfeit federal and state conservation funding and invite industrial-scale projects such as data centers that they said would strain local water and power supplies.
Dawn King Greer, who presented a written "Heritage First" plan, urged a freeze on $3.5 million in proposed operating increases and recommended cutting some administrative positions while preserving life‑safety staffing. "We cannot grow the government while our student population shrinks," Greer said, and urged the Board to "protect our A‑1 zoning" as a legal shield against large-scale development. Greer also argued that rezoning farmland could make parcels ineligible for USDA ACEP‑ALE and state Purchase of Development Rights programs, costing the county matching funds.
Other public commenters expressed a mix of concerns: several speakers opposed higher tax rates and the proposed zoning ordinance rewrite, some urged stronger support for schools and teacher pay, and one speaker questioned proposed reductions to Public Safety lines affecting the Hardy Fire Station. Multiple residents asked for greater transparency and two‑way engagement between the Board and citizens.
What the budget documents show: The published synopsis lists department-level expenditures across general administration, public safety, health and welfare, schools and capital outlay. Transfers between funds are budgeted at $57,728,468. The schools line item accounts for the largest single share of the expenditure subtotal.
What did not happen: The hearing was for public comment only; Board members did not offer formal responses or take votes at the meeting. Chairman Lorie Smith closed the hearing after public testimony.
Next steps: The FY 2026–2027 budget will remain under consideration; the Board did not adopt the budget at the public hearing. Additional public engagement or Board work sessions could be scheduled as part of the formal appropriation process.
