Franklin County Sets 8.352-Mill Levy, Edging Above Staff’s Rollback Estimate

Franklin County commissioners unanimously approved an 8.352-mill property-tax levy for general county purposes at a special-called meeting Aug. 20. The 4-0 vote approved a resolution setting the county rate, with Commissioner Busby making the motion and Commissioner Thompson seconding it, according to the meeting minutes. The action gives property owners a documented county levy after staff had presented a slightly lower estimate in July.

The millage rate is a central part of county property-tax bills, making the distinction between an estimate and the adopted levy consequential for residents across Franklin County. At 8.352 mills, the approved rate is 0.002 mills above staff’s 8.350-mill rollback estimate but remains below the 8.364-mill rate staff identified as current in July. The minutes do not show what the difference will mean for any individual parcel or final tax bill.

The county’s decision followed a July 28 work session in which staff recommended an estimated 8.350-mill FY2027 rollback rate and said rollback advertising was planned for Aug. 6. Staff also said commissioners needed to wait until the Board of Education’s scheduled Aug. 20 millage-rate vote before acting on the county rate. That timing led staff to propose a 6:30 p.m. Aug. 20 special-called meeting, where commissioners ultimately adopted the 8.352-mill county levy.

County staff’s July position was a recommendation, not a final decision: staff described 8.350 mills as an estimated rollback rate, citing 40% inflationary growth, $2,242,730 in digest growth and $18,726.80 in added property-tax revenue. Commissioners later adopted the different 8.352-mill figure without dissent. The Aug. 20 minutes also say the Board of Education had recommended and established a separate 14.760-mill education levy; that is separate from the county-purpose rate commissioners approved.

The Aug. 20 vote and the 8.352-mill levy stated in the resolution are completed county actions, as recorded in the special-called-meeting minutes. The 8.350-mill figure was instead a July staff estimate and recommendation, and should not be treated as the adopted rate. The published minutes do not explain why the final county figure differed from the estimate, provide the complete adopted resolution, or establish the tax impact on particular homes, businesses or land parcels.

The next meaningful public follow-through would be publication of the complete adopted resolution, any required millage notice, or later county action showing how the 8.352-mill levy is implemented. No later conclusive implementation or amendment record is identified here. What remains unresolved is not whether commissioners approved a county rate, but whether the county will explain the 0.002-mill change from staff’s estimate and release details that allow taxpayers to calculate their own bill impacts.