Franklin Budget Passes With Lower Than Proposed Tax Rate

After nearly an hour and a half of spirited debate, Franklin’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted on the city’s tax rate for fiscal year 2026. After going back and forth on several different iterations of a property tax rate, the final vote settled on a compromise of a $0.2960 municipal property tax rate, in between the initial $0.32 and proposed amendment of $0.286.

This followed a similar debate at a June 10 BOMA meeting, where aldermen debated tax rates and funding provisions. To recap: after the Williamson County Property Assessor’s reappraisal of county property (which takes place every four years), Franklin’s tax base saw a significant increase, meaning that its base property tax rate saw a decrease. As a result, the city’s base property tax rate decreased from $0.3261 to $0.2310. However, city officials proposed maintaining a tax rate of $0.32 in order to use an extra $0.089 to invest in city projects.

In the proposed budget, the base rate of $0.2310 would go towards maintaining existing city operations and capital projects that are already underway. Another $0.021 would go towards broadening city operations to match a growing population, and $0.068 would go towards Invest Franklin 2.0, the city’s new slate of capital projects.

The city’s budget was approved unanimously at the beginning of the meeting, but the real clash began when it was time to decide on the tax rate that would fund said budget.

Much of the debate centered around the proposed expansion of Mack Hatcher Parkway, which is the top priority of Invest Franklin 2.0. While the Tennessee Department of Transportation has agreed to help fund an expansion of Mack Hatcher Southeast (the section from Murfreesboro Road to Columbia Pike) from two lanes to four, city officials said that the state has recently backtracked somewhat on funding a similar expansion of Mack Hatcher Northwest, which runs from Hillsboro Road to New Highway 96.

At the onset of discussion around the tax rate, Ward Four Alderman Patrick Baggett proposed an amendment to set a tax rate of $0.286, which would incorporate the base rate, the $0.021 for city operations, and $0.034 to specifically fund the expansion Mack Hatcher Southeast. In making the amendment, Baggett argued that there is no guarantee of TDOT partnering with the city on the Northwest expansion. While other aldermen had said in previous meetings that the city could use the money to invest in other capital projects if TDOT does not come through on Northwest, Baggett said that he doesn’t feel comfortable taxing citizens for future projects that he can’t give line items for.

“Two months ago, [this money] was going to be used for Mack Hatcher Northwest, is how this budget was originally developed, and then it goes into these other projects. And I know this board would spend it wisely, but I think the public would like to see a list [of where the money is going],” Baggett said. Baggett also said that he would be open to increasing taxes to fund the Northwest expansion in the coming years if TDOT’s plans changed.

While Aldermen Beverly Burger, Greg Caesar, and Vice Mayor Jason Potts agreed with Baggett, Aldermen Ann Peterson, Brandy Blanton, and Clyde Barnhill disagreed, arguing that the rate should remain at the proposed $0.32. Barnhill made reference to certain members of the BOMA “showboating” to argue for a lower tax rate ahead of the upcoming BOMA election season, and took issue with the idea of raising taxes in a future year where there was no new property assessment.

“You had enough stuff on that screen right there to cover those two or three cents,” Barnhill said, pointing to a screen in the room with a list of capital projects. “We have an opportunity now to sit and have the citizens of Franklin know what their taxes will be for the next four years, we’re telling them now that we’re going to jerk around next year if something comes up?”

Throughout the discussion, Barnhill and Baggett became the de facto faces of each side of the debate, with each repeating throughout their discussions that “good people can disagree.” Before aldermen voted on the amendment, Mayor Ken Moore spoke briefly, saying that he supported the original tax rate of $0.32. However, the final vote was 4-3 in support of the amendment to levy a rate of $0.286, with Caesar, Burger, Potts, Baggett voting in the affirmative and Barnhill, Blanton, and Peterson voting against.

Just when everyone thought they were out of the woods, five minutes after the vote City Administrator Eric Stuckey interrupted discussion of a different agenda item to let the BOMA know that after taking a second look at city law, even though Ward Two Alderman Matt Brown was not present at the meeting, the tax rate would still need a majority of the eight person board — five votes — in order to pass.

So, the discussion began again, with aldermen heard saying in the background, “I’ll be here til 1:00 [a.m.]” and “We need to go buy coffee.” Hoping to find a compromise, Burger suggested a rate of $0.296, in between the two proposals. The vote saw some shuffling of positions but ultimately failed, with Barnhill, Blanton, Peterson, and Baggett voting no and Caesar, Burger, and Potts voting yes.

Still not reaching the five-vote threshold, Caesar levied another amendment, this time proposing a $0.30 tax. Barnhill and Baggett, though, were not moved on either side of the debate, with Barnhill saying, “We’re getting closer, but this is still a no,” and Baggett replying, “I can appreciate Alderman Barnhill’s resolve. I say equally no.” The amendment failed 4-3.

BOMA then moved to vote on the original rate of $0.32, which also failed 4-3. After the failed vote, one alderman was heard asking if they could call Alderman Matt Brown on the phone for a proxy vote to break the standoff (the answer was no), and another said, “I’ll stay here til 2:00 [a.m.].”

After four votes, Stuckey proposed to the board that they vote on one rate that night, and if they wanted to change the rate before the state certifies it in August, they could do that — they just needed to vote to set a rate by July 1 to implement the new budget. Burger tried a vote on the $0.296 rate again, but it failed 4-3 with the same voting breakdown as before.

Throughout the several votes, aldermen stated their cases on their positions — Burger said she couldn’t stand to raise the rate when the county was already raising theirs, and her constituents were dealing with inflation. Caesar said now that the city’s projected raise of the hotel/motel tax rate was put into question due to legal issues with the state, he felt they needed extra money in case that didn’t go through. At one point, Caesar even suggested setting the rate at $0.32 and lowering it in the future if other members of the board didn’t find capital projects they could fund with the additional cents.

Stuckey also weighed in, explaining that the city has $500 million that could be spent on different ideas for capital projects and that $0.32 was his official recommendation in the budget proposal. The board voted again on the original $0.32 rate, and it failed 4-3, same distribution as before.

After six votes, nearly 1.5 hours, and no movement, Baggett made a concession.

“If Alderman Barnhill will vote for the $0.296 … I will vote for it,” he said. Barnhill agreed.

The board then took another vote on Burger’s amendment to set the tax at a compromise of $0.296, which passed 5-2, with Barnhill, Caesar, Burger, Potts, and Baggett voting yes and Blanton and Peterson as the lone dissenters.

With that, the board voted to approve the tax rate with the amendment by the same margin and moved on to the rest of the night’s business. While it is unclear whether, as Stuckey suggested, further conversations will be had about a final rate in July and August, Franklin’s BOMA met the deadline of passing a budget and levying a tax rate by July 1.