Sales tax collections up in Franklin

Published 5:00 am Sunday, February 11, 2018

FRANKLIN — The mayor and city council in Franklin approved projection budgets  for their current and subsequent  fiscal years,  of $3.6 million and $3.81 million in revenues.  

The council voted Thursday, after  City Finance Director Ed Hay reported  the city is realizing a three percent sales tax increase in collections, and he predicts that number could remain steady or slightly increase to 5 percent in 2018.

Hay said sales tax collections are at $476,912.88. Originally he predicted to end this fiscal year at $900,000 but wants to revise that number to $950,000. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget, he is predicting $980,000 in sales tax collection increases.  

“Three to five percent is where it is going to be for the next three to five years,” he said. “And that’s promising.”

Although Hay will give a future report on the city’s expenses, he said they are proposed to be approximately the same as last year, for the most part.   

An exception however, is in the area of administration with compensation increases for the incoming Mayor and Council.  

Outgoing Franklin Mayor Raymond Harris said the new Mayor will earn a salary of $60,000 plus benefits.  He said the councilmen will see a raise to $650- and the Mayor Pro-Tem, $700- a month.

Currently, the mayor earns an annual salary of $48,000, and the council $500 a month. 

Hay said other increases include the cost of city court, but those are being offset by a rebate of court costs that are being directed by the current judge.

The police and fire department expenditures are projected to be within one percent of the current fiscal year. 

Expenditures in the water department are expected to be the same as in the current year, as well as the liquid and solid waste fund daily operations. 

Both the Utility Fund and the Liquid and Solid Waste Fund are projected to end FY 2018-2019 with a surplus, Hay said. 

Councilman Eugene Foulcard, who is Chairman of the City’s Finance Committee, said the current fiscal year budget, 2017-2018, will end April 30 of this year. He said the 2018-2019 budget will begin on May 1, 2017. 

“I commend Mr. Ed Hay and Mayor Harris for doing an exceptional job on providing us this review of what our anticipated revenues will be to end this budget, and what they will look like in our immediate future budget, which we will begin in just three months,” he said.

Foulcard is campaigning for Mayor of Franklin, in the upcoming March 24 election.  He has served as councilman for the past 12 years. He has also been the long-time Chief Financial Officer for St. Mary Community Action.

“Our city budgets are doable, based on these projections. For the new fiscal year, we remained conservative  and stayed in the middle of the road with our projections, so we did not over assume any forecasts,” he said.

Foulcard is being challenged by  Jimmie Daniel II, the owner of Daniel Granite and Crematory in Franklin. Daniel previously served on the council from 2002 to 2006.

Although he questioned Hay on a few items, “overall, the forecast of an revenue increase, no matter how small it is, is very promising,” Daniel said. 

The 2017 Mayoral Election is March 24. 

The majority of the city council was re-elected without opposition.  New comer Larry Guillbeau who qualified for Foulcard’s current council seat, was elected without any opposition.

The returning Councilmen are Chuck Autin, Lester Levine, Joe Garrison, and Jaime Robison.