The City of Franklin Utility Department is responsible for delivering essential water, sewer, and reclaimed water services to a diverse and growing customer base. This includes approximately 19,000 water customers and 28,000 sewer customers, both within and beyond the city limits. In response to the increasing demand, particularly from new sewer-only customers, the city has initiated a significant expansion of its wastewater treatment plant. This ambitious project, budgeted at over $300 million, is critical to sustaining and improving the city's infrastructure and service capacity. The scale of the wastewater treatment plant expansion necessitated a comprehensive financial strategy. The City was faced with several potential funding options, each with its own set of implications for stakeholders. These options included: •Increasing Impact Fees: These are charges on new developments to fund the infrastructure needed to support them. •Raising User Rates: Adjusting the rates paid by current customers for water and sewer services. •Debt Funding: Securing loans or bonds to finance the project, which would need to be repaid over time. Recognizing the complexity of these choices, the City of Franklin embarked on the development of a comprehensive financial plan. This plan served as a strategic roadmap to guide not only the funding of the treatment plant expansion but also to meet the broader revenue requirements of the utility services. To aid decision-making, the city developed several funding scenarios, each evaluating the different levers of impact fees, user rates, and debt funding. These scenarios were carefully crafted to present the financial and operational impacts in a clear and straightforward manner, making them accessible to both management and elected officials. The scenarios illustrated the interdependencies between the funding options. For instance, increasing impact fees could reduce the immediate burden on existing customers but might deter new development. Conversely, raising user rates would provide a steady revenue stream but could face resistance from the community. Debt funding, while spreading the cost over time, would increase the city's liabilities and long-term financial obligations. The presentation to the decision-makers aimed to demonstrate the nuanced impacts of each funding strategy. It highlighted not only the financial aspects but also the operational and community implications. The goal was to equip decision-makers with a comprehensive understanding, enabling them to make informed choices that balance short-term needs with long-term sustainability. Several rate design scenarios were presented to decision-makers, each demonstrating different ways to achieve cost-of-service principles. These scenarios included variations in fixed charges and volumetric rates. The presentation also explored the potential impacts of these scenarios on different customer segments, providing a comprehensive view of the options available.