“Franklin County Residents Demand Transparency”
The recent firestorm over Franklin County's water gambit has increased residents' attention to conversations surrounding water infrastructure, land acquisition, county growth, and local government transparency. Now, locals are planning to rally outside the Franklin County Commissioners Building right before the public hearing on the proposed FY27 county budget on Monday, May 18.
The rally is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. outside the commissioners' building before the special-called budget meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. inside the Franklin Plaza Training Room located at 279 South Bickett Boulevard. According to Franklin County officials, commissioners will hear public comments about the proposed county budget and will address an issue with the 424 T. Kemp Road Warehouse Project construction contract.
This rally was planned after weeks of public discussion surrounding Senate Bill 214 and the now-removed Section 5 provision designed to address long-term water infrastructure needs in Franklin County. The bill language concerned many local and state leaders who argued it would have allowed Franklin County to acquire land in neighboring counties without approval from those counties' elected leaders.
Though the provision was removed, the uproar it caused suggests that people want more clarity and more open and honest conversations before decisions that affect their communities move forward.
This is why Ashley Sanneh, Down Home Franklin Organizer, and many community members are organizing this rally.
In an email sent out Friday evening, Sanneh described the gathering as a direct response to what many residents viewed as secrecy and lack of public awareness surrounding the legislation.
“Recent developments surrounding the attempted land and water grab through legislation filed outside of our county have made one thing crystal clear: our communities cannot afford secrecy, backroom decisions, or leadership that leaves the public in the dark,” Sanneh wrote.
This message continued with a direct call for transparency from local leadership.
“We NEED leaders who are honest. We NEED leaders who are transparent. We NEED leaders who answer to the people they were elected to serve.”
Monday’s event will include marching, signs, chants, and community speakers once again calling on county commissioners to adopt a proposed Transparency Resolution that Down Home Franklin has been organizing around in recent months.
Franklin County is growing rapidly and developments are being built despite serious questions about water access, transportation, school capacity, emergency services, and long-term infrastructure planning.
This is also why Senate Bill 214 gained so much public attention across Franklin County and neighboring communities.
Many local leaders speak openly about the long-term water supply concerns, arguing that Franklin County must secure sustainable water infrastructure solutions to support future population growth and economic expansion. N.C. House Representative Matthew Winslow (R, Franklin-Vance) defended Senate Bill 214 by saying that Franklin County has spent nearly 20 years struggling to secure additional water access through negotiations with the City of Henderson.
In a public statement, Winslow said Franklin County leaders saw the legislation as a “last resort” after years of stalled negotiations surrounding Kerr Lake water access and rising costs tied to future infrastructure needs. “Franklin County faces a growing water supply challenge that threatens both residential growth and economic development,” Winslow wrote.
Winslow also pushed back against public rumors surrounding the legislation, stating, “This is not a data center project,” while also saying that the proposal “does not authorize Franklin County to condemn or seize Henderson’s existing water treatment plant.”
However, the anger surrounding Senate Bill 214 has changed how many local leaders and residents see it because it shows just how easily large infrastructure discussions can move through legislative processes before any community member has a full understanding of what’s happening.
Franklin County Commissioner Mark Speed has framed the conversation around accountability and transparency.
In a public statement released in April, Speed argued that Section 5 threatened the principle of local government accountability by allowing Franklin County to potentially acquire property in neighboring counties without those residents having representation in the decision-making process.
“Every county in North Carolina is sovereign over the land within its borders,” Speed wrote. “That accountability is what makes local government work.”
As a result, many community members say they are paying closer attention not only to state legislation, but also to county meetings, development projects, infrastructure planning, and county spending decisions that could shape Franklin County for many generations.
Franklin County has already released the proposed FY27 budget documents and supporting materials online ahead of Monday’s meeting for residents who want to review them beforehand.
FY27 Proposed Franklin County Budget Presentation
Franklin County Board May 18th Agenda
Residents can also watch the meeting through Franklin County Government’s official livestreams and archived videos online.