News

The Franklin County Commissioners have been recognized with a pair of Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties (NACo) that honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.  The awards are for programs within or overseen by the commissioners’ Job and Family Services and Economic Development and Planning departments.  The I Am My Brother’s Keeper program was recognized in the Human Services category, and the Building Futures pre-apprenticeship program in the Community and Economic Development category.

In conjunction with May as Mental Health Month, Franklin County today celebrated the three-year anniversary of Stepping Up: A National Initiative to Reduce the Number of People with Mental Illnesses in Jails with a Day of Action. Speakers from across the entire justice spectrum spoke at the unveiling of a Mental Health Diversion Guide, highlighting possible interventions and action steps to take on behalf of mentally-ill individuals at each step of the crisis and justice continuum. 

Two hundred fifty million dollars in tax-exempt sales tax revenue bonds that Franklin County is set to issue this summer have been rated Triple-A by the two principal ratings agencies, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and S&P Global Ratings.  This is the nation’s first and only local government issuance of special tax bonds to ever receive Triple-A ratings from both Moody’s and S&P.  At the same time, the rating agencies both also reaffirmed their Triple-A ratings of the county’s outstanding general obligation bonds.

Don Winstel, Director of Franklin County Animal Care and Control and the County Dog Shelter has announced that he will be retiring in August of this year.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has been notified that the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) has voted to continue to accredit the Franklin County Corrections Centers for compliance with NCCHC’s Standards for Health Services in Jails. Franklin County remains among an elite group of facilities to earn and consistently retain this coveted accreditation.

Franklin County, Ohio has been selected as one of seven Stepping Up Innovator Counties in the United States for its expertise and innovation in collecting data on people in its jail with mental illness, and for working to ensure that those inmates are receiving appropriate care both inside and outside of jail. 

Today, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners released their fourth annual State of the County report. The web-based report, which can be found at report.franklincountyohio.gov, compiles the many ways that the lives of county residents are touched by county government, as well as highlighting the investments the commissioners have made in public safety, economic development, health and human services and environmental protection.

At its annual State of the Region luncheon this afternoon, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) awarded county Economic Development Director, James Schimmer, its William H. Anderson Excellence in Public Service Award.  This annual honor recognizes a past or present MORPC board member who has made a significant contribution to MORPC, the community, and our region. Earlier this month, Director Schimmer’s team at the commissioners’ department of Economic Development and Planning was announced as the recipient of a National Planning Achievement Award for a Best Practice by the American Planning Association.  The award, shared with the Columbus City Council, honored the two teams’ collaborative initiatives to support a healthy, strong, and resilient local food system.

Today, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners join their counterparts from the across the country in celebrating County Health Day. An initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo), County Health Day celebrates counties working to build a culture of health. Throughout the day on social media, NACo will highlight innovative county health programming and share best practices from communities across the U.S. using the hashtag #CountyHealth.
 

Ten new well trained prospective employees entered the workforce yesterday as the newest graduates of the Franklin County Commissioners’ Green Corps program, which is a partnership between the commissioners, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, IMPACT Community Action, and Eckard Connects.  Participants in the program are trained by Franklin Park Conservatory staff for well-paid jobs in the community’s growing green industries.