T
he Franklin County Board of Supervisors has rejected tax increases for the upcoming budget year, keeping the real estate and meals taxes unchanged. The board had considered raising the meals tax from 4% to 6%, and increasing the real estate tax from 43 cents per $100 of assessed value to 45 cents.

    Business owners like Kylee Robinson are relieved by the decision, citing already high day-to-day expenses as a concern. "The more expense everything gets, the less people come out," she said. Anna Robertson, who owns two locations for her distillery business in Franklin County, also welcomed the news, stating that keeping taxes the same will help local businesses.

    Supervisor Marshall Jamison voted against the hikes, citing the recent property reassessment and the struggles of county residents with rising costs. "People are already struggling in the county," he said. The rejected tax increases would have generated revenue for emergency services and a CTE building for schools, but Jamison suggested that this money could come from the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is expected to bring in $1-3 million.