A steady FY27, with a Mack Hatcher win.
FY27 keeps Invest Franklin 2.0 on its current path. The total budget grows modestly to $273.4M, the property tax rate holds at $0.296 (the lowest in Franklin's recorded history), and the city locked in TDOT partnership funding for Mack Hatcher Southeast, one of only nine such projects selected statewide.
assessed value
$0.296 per $100: the lowest rate in Franklin's recorded history.
The FY27 budget holds the property tax rate flat from FY26. The Invest Franklin 2.0 dedicated funding structure stays in place, and Franklin's rate now sits at less than 14% of its 1987–89 peak. The city leans on that fact often when comparing itself to its neighbors.
Four decades of property tax rate decline.
FY27 marks the second consecutive year at the lowest rate in Franklin's history.
New City Hall: "Completing the Square."
The 1970s converted-mall City Hall has been demolished. A new three-story civic building is going up in its place on the historic Public Square. It will be Franklin's first purpose-built City Hall since 1892. Construction started in May 2025, with opening targeted for summer 2027.
Where the dollars go: 7 project pieces.
Cost estimates as of June 24, 2025. Ranges reflect design and material-pricing variability.
From a leaking 1970s mall to a purpose-built civic campus.
The old City Hall started as a 1970s shopping mall and then served as a 40-year placeholder. It was demolished after years of roof leaks, no windows, and five confusing entrances. Over 90% of public-survey respondents support the direction of the new design, including the form, subgrade parking, public restrooms, and LEED Silver target.
- MAY 2025 Demolition complete · site work begins
- MAY 2026 Vertical construction underway
- SUMMER 2027 Targeted opening · ribbon-cutting on the Square
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The biggest shifts in where Franklin's money comes from.
FY27 revenue growth is modest and intentionally cautious. The headline movements: building activity is up sharply, one-time transportation grants have wrapped, and softer interest rates are pulling investment income down.
Public safety still leads, but Public Works gets the biggest bump.
Of the $134.3M General Fund, 69% goes to personnel. Public Safety is the largest department at 43.9% of all General Fund spending, basically flat year-over-year. The big mover this year is Public Works, up 6.5% for parks restoration and street maintenance.
Public Safety
Public Works
City Employees
More patrol officers, restored parks crews, and back-office capacity.
Public safety leads again. FY27 also restores parks and back-office roles trimmed in earlier cycles, with one Administration cut bringing the net to +7.
For comparison, FY26 added 8 positions: 3 firefighters, 3 police officers, a victim counselor, and an IS developer.
Mack Hatcher SE: TDOT-funded, 1 of 9 statewide.
FY27's biggest transportation news: Franklin secured Tennessee DOT partnership funding for the Mack Hatcher Southeast widening, one of only nine such projects funded statewide. Construction targets a 2032 start. The Invest Franklin 2.0 dedicated funding stream remains the local match.
No property tax hike, but five other fees move.
FY27 is where the budget shows up in your monthly bills. The property tax rate holds at $0.296, but utilities, trash, stormwater, and a long-flat builder fee all step up. Most start January 1, 2027.
Plan Review Fees jump for builders and developers
Nonresidential plan review goes from $50 → $250. A new $50 fire protection review fee is added. A new $100 residential plan review fee applies to homes over 2,000 sq. ft. Commercial transfer station tip fees also rise from $70/ton to $75/ton.
What just opened, and what's still under construction.
Franklin's 10-year Capital Investment Plan carries over $458M in improvements, with 82% going to transportation. Two big FY26 projects are open, and a pipeline of FY27–28 projects is on deck.
Opened in FY26
Complete- Bicentennial Park Jul 2025
- Harlinsdale Farm Main Barn Aug 2025
Coming in FY27 & beyond
In progress- New City Hall Plaza Late summer / fall 2027
- Robinson Lake (Pearline M. Bransford Park) 2027
- The Pearl (Pearline M. Bransford Park) 2028
- McEwen Phase 4 2028
- Mack Hatcher SE widening Construction target 2032
Reserves climbed from $74.4M to a projected $92.1M.
Ending fund balance now equals 68.6% of annual revenues and expenditures, well above what policy requires, and a steady climb even as service demands grow. Hotel/Motel Fund spending totals $7.6M, including $4M for Liberty Park improvements and $1.3M to the CVB.
The whole FY27 budget, for normal humans.
Short version: no property tax increase, but utility and service fees are creeping up across the board. The city is still building, still hiring, and still managing its money carefully.
The city has $273 million to spend. That's about $7M more than last year, a careful 2.7% increase.
Your property tax rate is NOT going up. It stays at $0.296, the lowest in Franklin's recorded history.
Water and sewer bills go up again in January 2027: water +5%, sewer +6%. This is part of a planned multi-year schedule.
Trash pickup costs $1 more per month, going from $33 to $34, starting January 2027.
Stormwater fees go up for the first time since 2018. Most homeowners will pay about $20 more per year.
Franklin hired 3 new patrol officers and a police training sergeant, plus restored 2 parks groundskeeper positions.
City workers get raises again: 2.5% base, up to 5% with performance. This year their health insurance premiums also tick up a little, for the first time in 4 years.
Mack Hatcher SE is actually happening. Franklin landed TDOT partnership funding, one of only 9 projects selected statewide. Construction targets 2032.
The city's savings account stays healthy, with $92 million in reserves, nearly 69% of what the city spends in a year.
Most of what you pay in taxes goes to public safety. 44 cents of every General Fund dollar funds police and fire.