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Benton County officials warn Franklin withdrawal would shrink homeless and disability services funding
Summary
Benton County staff told commissioners that Franklin County’s move to end their joint human-services MOU could remove roughly one-third of some program budgets, create service gaps for veterans and people with developmental disabilities, and force hiring and administrative changes that reduce dollars available for direct services.
Benton County commissioners spent the workshop hearing from Human Services staff about the potential effects of Franklin County’s decision to stop participating in joint human-services agreements.
Kyle Sullivan of Benton County Human Services said the counties historically pooled state, federal and local dollars for programs such as eviction prevention, emergency shelter and disability services. He said the consolidated homeless grant administered by Benton is a two‑year contract with a current total value of about $18.5 million (roughly $9.25 million per year), and that additional state and federal grants together likely total several hundred thousand dollars more. Sullivan said local document‑recording fees are divided into two local housing funds that Benton used to fill gaps, including programs for people with documented disabilities.
Sullivan said Franklin County notified Commerce and Benton last year that it would not continue the MOU and that, where local dollars are involved, Franklin has been required to remit some funds back to the state. That remittance and Franklin’s nonparticipation could reduce certain program budgets by approximately one‑third, Sullivan told the board, while client demand is likely to persist across the county line. "We have a river," he said, describing clients who cross from Franklin into Benton County for services; "we'll have all of the same clients, but a third less money to administer those services."
Deputy County Administrator Matt Rasmussen said Benton historically charged Franklin about $54,000 per year to administer joint services and warned that if Franklin stands up its own program it will likely need to hire additional staff, increasing administrative overhead and further reducing service dollars directed to clients.
Stakeholders flagged specific program risks. Donna, who identified herself as representing the Arc of Tri‑Cities and Arc of Washington, said a number of workers and the Birth‑to‑3 program would be affected and urged Benton to continue administering contracts until Franklin is operational. Sullivan added that the developmental‑disabilities contract he described is roughly $3.5 million and that hiring experienced staff for those services can take substantial time, increasing the risk of service disruption.
Sullivan said Commerce has not yet reduced Benton’s consolidated homeless grant, which remains under contract with Benton through June 30, 2027; Benton and Commerce staff, however, expressed concern about what happens after that date if the structural changes continue.
Commissioners expressed agreement that Benton must be proactive about maintaining services for county residents while balancing fiscal responsibility. Several asked staff to return with options for interim arrangements and clarified that any continuation of services would need to respect legal limits on using sales‑tax or program funds.
The board did not take a formal vote during the workshop; commissioners directed staff to prepare proposals and monitoring steps for future consideration.
