Franklin County officials told commissioners at the Nov. 26 meeting that the county is facing growing budget pressure from lower-than-expected sales-tax receipts and rising insurance and program costs.

Chairman (Speaker 1) said the county discovered it is "over $500,000 behind on our sales tax collection," creating difficulty in setting the 2026 budget. A later exchange flagged an invoice showing a 55% increase in the county's liability insurance bill — described in the meeting as roughly $680,000 — an expense not accounted for in current budget preparations.

Administrator Danzel also raised mandated caseload requirements facing the county's public-defense system and said attorney Larry Zigler has requested permission to hire an additional lawyer to assist with increased workloads. Danzel recommended a roundtable workshop including the prosecuting attorney's office, the Office of Public Defense and judges to identify manageable and fiscally prudent responses. "The caseload mandates... are something to take seriously," he said, and staff warned that state mandates could force choices that might break the county's budget if not planned for.

Commissioners said they will hold budget workshops in the coming days to prioritize spending and consider potential options, including whether to use reserve or contingency funds, while seeking to minimize service impacts.