County Leadership Must Unite to Solve Residential Growth Issue, Says Fr. Co. School Superintendent

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting this evening for the purpose of discussing residential growth.  The meeting at 6p at the Justice Center is open to the public and is also available via Zoom.

Franklin County School Superintendent Chris Forrer is calling on county and municipal leaders to meet with him and the school board to discuss how to plan for future residential growth.

Franklin County Commissioners will meet for a called session this evening to discuss the recent influx of subdivisions and how best to control what is seen by many as uncontrolled development.

At their regular meeting last week, Commissioner Eddie Wester raised his concerns regarding the influx of new subdivisions.

One of his biggest concerns he said is the effect such growth would have on the Franklin County School System.

“I am truly concerned about we’re fixin’ to see,” he told the Board. “I think Banks County has put in a moratorium and Hart County has put in a moratorium. I’m concerned because we’re wide open right now. I’d rather see us get ahead of this instead of staying behind it…I’m worried about the school system. Either way you look at it, if we have an influx of students to our school system, there’s going to be a property tax hike to their millage rates. That’s going to be the only way they can handle it if they get hit with that many children at one time. They’re not going to have a choice. Whether it’s coming in here and deciding whether to go to a two-acre minimum or a three-acre minimum, I would like for us to look at it really hard because I really feel like we’re fixin’ to get ourselves in trouble.”

At the Board of Education regular meeting last week, School Superintendent Chris Forrer discussed that impact using as an example, 800 new homes in Franklin County. Watch the full video here

Forrer said while that would increase their revenue somewhat via property taxes it would not be enough to cover the cost of educating an influx of new students.

He said that would mean an increase in the school millage rate and he gave an example of how much it would cost taxpayers if the millage were raised to 23 mills.

Additionally, new schools would have to be built and current ones expanded – something he said the school system could not afford.

Forrer concluded by asking county and municipal leadership to meet with him and the board to work together on a plan.

Tonight’s called Franklin County Board of Commission called session takes place at 6p at the Justice Center in Carnesville and is open to the public.