Franklin County commissioners could not come up with a unanimous vote Tuesday to send a $7.7 million budget back to county budget panel to reconsider $191,130 in program grants for outside agencies. From left is newly appointed interim Commissioner Bob Carlton of Freeman Township, Chairman Terry Brann of Wilton and Commissioner Lance Harvell of Farmington. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to set the tax rate for 2022-23 at $1.295 per $1,000 of property value. It’s a decrease of nearly 2 cents from the fiscal year ending June 30.

Commissioners also approved the revenue for the jail at about $227,595 designated revenue and $75,000 from the undesignated fund. The latter keeps the jail’s budget under the tax cap, county Administrator Amy Bernard said. The jail budget is $2.34 million, and after factoring revenue, the tax assessment is based on $2.04 million.

The commission also approved designated revenues of $607,131 and $393,430 from the undesignated fund to offset the county budget of about $5.35 million. The tax assessment is based on $4.35 million after revenues are factored in.

The overall tax assessment to the towns and unorganized territory is nearly $6.4 million, according to information provided by Bernard. The total valuation of the county is $5.28 billion, including nearly $450 million of valuation attributed to the unorganized territory.

The first half of the tax bill to towns is expected to be due on or before Sept. 1 and the second half by Feb. 1, 2023.

In other business, commissioners also approved the Juneteenth holiday for nonunion employees in a 2-1 vote. Commissioner Lance Harvell of Farmington and Commissioner Bob Carlton of Freeman Township voted to approve the state and federal holiday, retroactive to Monday. The holiday was recognized Monday because it fell on Sunday.


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