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Franklin County fiscal court advances $56.98M budget, earmarks opioid grants including $67,500 for Yes Arts
Summary
The court reviewed a proposed $56,976,390 budget for FY2026–27, agreed to allocate opioid‑abatement funds to local nonprofits (including $67,500 for Yes Arts), and approved a slate of routine measures; magistrates debated road resurfacing and employee-pay options.
Franklin County Judge Mueller presented a proposed fiscal year 2026–27 budget totaling $56,976,390 at the fiscal court work session on April 29, and magistrates moved to receive the proposal and consider a set of outside agency grants funded partly from opioid-abatement dollars.
Treasurer Amy told the court the overall package was $56,976,390 and, excluding capital expenses and federal projects, was $44,969,390. She said the packet reflected updated insurance and revenue figures, including a $79,500 dividend that reduced the draw on reserves. Amy described the multi-step process: departments submit requests in March, the judge and treasurer refine the draft and it goes before the finance committee and then the committee of the whole before the court acts.
A major focus of the discussion was distribution of opioid‑abatement and outside‑agency grant funds (Fund 74). Amy said Fund 74 currently held roughly $490,000 and a committee recommendation of $167,500 was available for outside‑agency grants; the court discussed how state grants awarded directly to some nonprofits should affect local awards.
Magistrates debated a request from Yes Arts, which had applied to the state and for county support. The original application to the state asked for $84,375, according to the materials presented; the court confirmed it had previously allocated $30,000 to Yes Arts out of general funds and decided to provide a total award of $67,500 (the court directed that the additional $37,500 come from opioid funds). Court staff were asked to confirm whether other state awards to local agencies changed needs before finalizing remaining line items.
The court reviewed committee recommendations for other nonprofit requests as well. For several organizations (including a local soup kitchen, CASA, Recovery Cafe and a children’s pantry effort), the court discussed whether opioid funds should be restricted to supplies-only or could cover personnel; magistrates signaled conditional approvals on multiple items with reporting or supplies-only conditions for opioid-funded awards.
Other budget issues raised during the work session included a proposal to fund solar projects for county buildings (three scope/cost options were discussed), whether to add a jail fence versus relying on newly approved cameras, and a pay increase structure that would give employees the greater of a 3% raise or a $1-per-hour minimum increase for most employees. Road resurfacing was debated at length: the treasurer recommended a baseline resurfacing allocation of $850,000 based on multi-year spending trends; one magistrate urged adding $150,000 to that line to address urgent flood-related damage and other needs, but the court ultimately agreed to keep the $850,000 base and consider amendments if necessary.
Votes at a glance (actions recorded by the court): - Approved an agreement with the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the jail/SAP/SOAR program (FY 2027–2028). - Tabled a sewer‑pump/pump‑station agenda item until May 13. - Approved an office lease agreement with the Capital Community Economic Industrial Development Authority Inc. (monthly rent listed in discussion: $2,000). - Approved second reading of Ordinance #14207 amending occupational license requirements and clarifying nonprofit vendor‑fair exemptions. - Approved a resolution supporting the renaming of the Franklin County Courthouse in honor of U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan. - Received the proposed FY2026–27 budget and the treasurer’s report; approved budget transfers and the payment of claims.
What happens next: The proposed budget will receive a formal first reading on May 13, then be submitted to the Department for Local Government for review before a second reading and adoption in June, per the timeline explained by Treasurer Amy.
Representative quote: “This is your time to make changes,” Treasurer Amy said, describing the committee and committee-of-the-whole reviews that shaped the draft. The court directed staff to confirm state grant awards to nonprofits before finalizing remaining opioid‑fund allocations.
