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Resident warns of falling investment income and potential budget gap as commissioners listen
Summary
A Fayetteville resident warned the commissioners that lower interest rates and reduced county investment income could increase the 2026 budget deficit and pressure services; a commissioner responded that lower inflation likely reduces expenses and may offset lost interest revenue.
Valerie Jordan, a resident of Fayetteville, used the public-comment period at the Oct. 8 Franklin County commissioners meeting to warn officials about falling interest rates and their potential effect on county finances.
Jordan said the county previously included $1.5 million in investment income in its preliminary 2026 budget but that county fiscal staff now forecast $937,200 for fiscal year 2026, a drop Jordan calculated as a $557,000 reduction. She said that, combined with other pressures, the county faces a preliminary deficit she cited as $1.9 million and urged commissioners to avoid cutting essential services or placing the burden chiefly on residents.
“Franklin County’s children and its elderly should not be held hostage here,” Jordan told the commissioners, and she asked the board to address the shortfall without harming services to children and older residents.
Commissioner (Speaker 3) responded that a drop in interest income generally accompanies lower inflation, which can reduce county expenses and may offset some lost revenue. “Virtually always, when you have a reduction in interest income, it’s because inflation has lessened,” the commissioner said, adding that lower expenses often accompany that shift.
No formal budget action or vote occurred during the meeting; the issue was raised as public comment and was discussed briefly by commissioners and staff. Administrator Gray offered to provide additional information about the county’s banking partners and later confirmed the county uses F&M Trust and the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust. Jordan also relayed examples of local services she values, including the Chambersburg Senior Center.
