Council to Discuss Municipal Fee Use

The Sewanee Community Council will meet at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 25, when members will consider a motion to adjust the municipal fee paid by leaseholders and how to allocate the funds collected. They will also consider a motion to change the group’s constitution.

At the June 30 meeting, the Sewanee Community Council approved increasing the municipal service fee paid by all leaseholders to generate $10,000 to $20,000 in funds to be used by the Community Council for municipal improvements. The fee increase is for a trial two-year period. 

The fee increase would be based on home value according to the Franklin County tax assessment. For example, to generate $10,000 of revenue, the owner of a home valued at $300,000 would see a fee increase of $56, said John Swallow, provost of the University, at the June 30 meeting. The average leasehold fee increase would be $22 annually.

Community Council meetings are open to the public; questions and comments from guests are welcome.

County School Board Requests 7-Cent Property Tax Increase

In an effort to solve the continuing budget crisis in the Franklin County School system, the board of education has requested a 7-cent property tax increase. The Franklin County Commission will have to decide whether to accept this recommendation.

The school board and Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber have been struggling to have a budget for the 2014–15 year that would have a $3 million fund balance. With the proposed property tax increase, the fund balance would be approximately $2.4 million.

At the April 7 meeting of the school board, the draft budget showed a $1.2 million shortage, which included increases in insurance costs and retirement. At that time, the board asked Sharber to come back with a budget that had a $3 million fund balance. 

Sharber reported she was unable to get there. Since then, she has been working with system staff to reduce projected expenses. Recommending a 7-cent tax increase was required to get the fund balance closer to $3 million. An earlier plan had recommended a 33-cent property tax increase. A majority of the county commissioners indicated they would not support such a large tax hike. 

Because the school board cannot levy taxes, the final decision about the increase must be made by the commissioners. There has been no increase in appropriations from the county commission to the school system for 10 years. The Franklin County commissioners will meet again on June 16.