With Franklin County being one of the fastest-growing counties in the state and a midterm election just wrapping up, it’s important to us that our readers know exactly who to contact with their issues. Whether it’s property taxes, budgeting, school funding or zoning, our goal is for you to come away from this article knowing who to contact to resolve the issues that matter to you.
Who decides what, at a glance
County Commissioners
7 members · the whole county
- County property tax
- County budget
- Local money for schools
- Sheriff’s Office budget
- Most zoning outside towns
- County water and parks
Your Town Board
Inside town limits only
- Town property tax
- Town budget
- Zoning and annexation in town
- Town police
- Town streets
- Town services and utilities
School Board
7 members · Franklin County Schools
- School policies
- Hires the superintendent
- School calendar
- Attendance zones
- Runs the school budget
- Can’t raise taxes
No town board? If you live outside town limits, the county decides. State roads like U.S. 1 and N.C. 56 belong to NCDOT.
The county commissioners
- The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has seven members: five elected by district and two representing the county at large.
- The county commissioners control the following:
- County taxes and the county’s budget
- How much local money our schools receive
- Funding for the Sheriff’s Office
- County parks
- County water
- And zoning laws outside of town limits
- Public meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at Franklin Plaza in Louisburg. Anyone can speak during the public comment time allotted at the beginning of the meeting.
Your town board
- Town boards (sometimes called town councils) control the following:
- Town taxes and budgeting
- Zoning within town limits
- Town streets
- Town police departments
- Water, sewer and trash in towns that run their own systems
- Town parks and events
- And local rules such as noise, golf carts, nuisance properties and parking
- Town boards only matter to you if you live within town limits. Otherwise, the county commissioners decide things like your zoning, and you won’t pay town taxes.
- Live in Centerville, Lake Royale or anywhere else outside the four towns? The county commissioners are your local government.
Louisburg
- Louisburg is run by an elected mayor and town council. The council hires a town administrator to run day-to-day operations.
- The council meets monthly at 6 p.m. at the Karl T. Pernell Public Safety Complex in Louisburg. This month’s meeting is Tuesday, November 10th.
- Council meetings are streamed HERE.
- Louisburg’s Town Hall is at 110 W. Nash St. and can be reached at 919-496-3406.
Franklinton
- Franklinton has a mayor and five commissioners elected on a nonpartisan ballot, with a town manager who prepares the budget and runs town departments.
- The board meets the third Tuesday of each month at Franklinton’s Town Hall. The next meeting is Tuesday, November 17th.
- Board meetings are streamed HERE on YouTube and HERE on Facebook.
- Franklinton’s Town Hall is at 101 N. Main St. and can be reached at 919-494-2520.
Youngsville
- Youngsville’s board is made up of a mayor and five commissioners elected to staggered four-year terms, with the mayor running the board’s meetings.
- The board meets the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Youngsville’s Town Hall. The next meeting is Thursday, November 12th.
- Youngsville’s Town Hall is at 134 U.S. 1A South and can be reached at 919-925-3401.
Bunn
- Bunn’s board is made up of a mayor and four commissioners, all elected by the town at large. The mayor runs meetings and only votes to break a tie.
- The board meets the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the conference room of the Utility Building. The next meeting is Monday, December 7th.
- Bunn’s Town Hall is at 601 Main St. and can be reached at 919-496-2992.
The school board
- Franklin County’s school board is made up of seven members elected to staggered four-year terms.
- The school board controls the following:
- School policy
- Hiring the superintendent
- The school calendar
- Attendance zones (which school your kids go to)
- And spending the money the county and state allot them
- The school board can NOT raise or lower taxes. If you want more (or less) local money going to schools, that’s the county commissioners.
- The board normally meets on the second Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at Riverside Campus, 53 West River Road in Louisburg. This month’s meeting is off the normal schedule and will be on Monday, November 16th.
Who to call
| The problem | Who to call | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Pothole, broken sign or bad drainage on a state road (U.S. 1, N.C. 56, N.C. 39 and most rural roads) | NCDOT | 1-877-368-4968 |
| Pothole, streetlight or trash pickup on a town street | Your town hall | See your town above |
| Property tax bill or your home’s value | Franklin County Tax Office | 919-496-2172 |
| Water or sewer bill (county water customers, including Youngsville) | Franklin County Public Utilities | 919-556-6177 After hours: 919-496-6565 |
| Zoning or building permit outside town limits | Franklin County Planning & Inspections | 919-496-2909 |
| Non-emergency police issue outside town limits | Franklin County Sheriff’s Office | 919-496-2186 After 5 p.m.: 919-496-2511 |
| School bus, enrollment or school concerns | Franklin County Schools | 919-496-2600 |
| Speaking at a commissioners meeting or getting an agenda | Clerk to the Board of Commissioners | 919-496-5994 |
| Emergency | 911 | 911 |