Franklin County commissioners set 2026 millage rate at 8.352 mills

In April 2025, Franklin County commissioners were told the county's tax digest had been reassessed with a 40% inflationary increase, bringing it to $120,697,186. On May 5 the board voted 5-0 to set an estimated millage rate of 8.235 to comply with a new state law on tax bills, then voted 5-0 eleven days later to raise that estimate to 8.485 to fund the Industrial Building Authority at .25 mill.

Commissioners approved the FY2026 county budget, including the Sheriff's Office budget, by a 5-0 vote at a special called meeting on June 24, after a June 17 public hearing that included comments from library staff and the Royston library board chair requesting increased funding.

After public hearings in late July, commissioners voted 5-0 on August 7 to adopt a 2025 millage rate of 8.364 mills, which includes the 0.25 mill increase for the Industrial Building Authority. At an August 4 meeting they also discussed a $2-per-hour minimum wage increase for library staff, amounting to about $20,000.

The board approved a budget amendment for the Franklin County Libraries on September 8, 2025, raising the library budget total to $125,834.91, and approved a $1,994,000 FY2025 budget amendment on December 18, 2025, covering an airport grant, a Flock camera reclassification, and a Recreation Department insurance claim.

In 2026, library staff told commissioners the proposed budget would not cover funding to reopen closed Saturday hours, and the county's Board of Assessors presented a Digest Consolidation and Inflationary Growth Report in June. On August 20, commissioners voted 4-0 to levy a 2026 millage rate of 8.352 mills on county property.