New proposal changes official Franklin-Granville County line
What’s been believed to be the Franklin-Granville County line for more than a century is incorrect, according to the North Carolina Geodetic Survey (NCGS).
Now, the counties are requesting more time to officially establish the boundary line as it currently stands. At the state level, lawmakers will consider House Bill 438 and decide whether to allow additional time.
“It was only somewhat recently that we realized it might not be the surveyed line,” said Granville County Manager Drew Cummings. “It's really in the best interest of both counties to leave the line alone and let it stay where people have understood it to be. “
According to HB 438, a law in 1874-75 established the boundary between the two counties, but over time, “the exact location of the boundary line became uncertain.”
Because of the confusion, the NCGS researched deeds, took note of old landmarks and interviewed people along the county boundary.
“What the Geodetic Survey discovered when they did that was that the line we had been using for well over 100 years was not the correct line,” Cummings explained. “They said, basically, 'if we don't hear back from you within a certain amount of time, this will become the new official line between the counties.'
“We said, 'wait, wait. This has major ramifications for residents in both counties and leaders in both counties, and we would like some time to work this out.'”
Within the original year given by the NCGS, the bill notes the potential difficulties that would come with modifying the line.
“The General Assembly recognizes that if the boundary line as rendered by the NCGS survey were to become effective one year after its submission by the NCGS and receipt by the counties, it would create difficulties for the residents of Franklin County and Granville County,” the bill reads.
If changed, about 1,000 residents would be assigned new counties, shuffling a little bit less than $1 million to Granville County.
“For example, from Granville County's point of view, if we had suddenly had to start providing EMS services, fire services, absorbing additional students from the edge of Granville County, that would have been difficult and expensive,” Cummings said. “The little bit of tax revenue we might have gotten from these additional properties, it wouldn't have been worth it.”
It would impact taxation, school attendance, zoning maps and elections, according to Franklin County spokesperson James Hicks.
In a statement, Hicks said in part:
“Through this proposed legislation, the two Counties support maintaining the existing GIS Boundary Line. The legislation provides an acceptable time frame for the current GIS Boundary Line to be surveyed and statutorily ratified.
“The leadership for both Franklin County and Granville County supports this solution as the least disruptive solution for the lives and processes for the residents of each County. We look forward to working with the General Assembly to ensure passage of the legislation.”
The counties will have until the end of 2025 to solidify the current boundary.
Want to see how the Franklin-Granville County line was established? Click or tap here to view a map from North Carolina Emergency Management
