News

The Franklin County commissioners this morning announced a historic new investment in families and local child care providers called Franklin County RISE.  The partnership with Action For Children will invest nearly $23 million over two years to support Franklin County families who are struggling to pay for child care as well as child care providers and staff.  This is the most significant investment ever in the local early childhood learning system, and builds on earlier funding from the City of Columbus.  The funding comes from the American Rescue Plan and is intended to help families who are facing the “benefits cliff” in which they make too much to qualify for Publicly Funded Child Care (PFCC) but too little to actually afford child care, as well as the early learning centers and teachers on which they rely.
 

On Tuesday, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners committed to developing the county workforce to meet a growing demand for technology jobs, while placing equity at the forefront of their approach. This innovative partnership between the Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services and the nationally recognized tech training nonprofit Per Scholas will help train and place 200 low-income women of color on the path to self-sufficiency through good paying jobs.

 

An additional $8 million is now available through the Columbus-Franklin County Small Business Recovery Fund to help central Ohio small businesses continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funding will be prioritized for businesses that are located in underserved communities and are minority-, woman- or veteran-owned. Federal funding and support from local resources are meant to protect the small business economy and help entrepreneurship flourish in the region.

This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners have announced $2.7 million in grants to 88 local nonprofit agencies that serve low-income Franklin County residents. Many nonprofits have struggled mightily during the pandemic, during which they saw a greatly increased demand for services and greatly decreased donations.

The Franklin County Office on Aging announced this morning a new outreach effort aimed at bringing its resources directly to older residents who may not otherwise be familiar with what the office has to offer.  The new campaign, branded HOPE—Helping Our residents and families with Purposeful Engagement, will be an ongoing effort to support senior residents living independently by letting them know about services that can help them age in-place. HOPE will encompass direct outreach to seniors, families, and caregivers to check in on their health and inform them about services available through the Office on Aging.
 

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners this morning unanimously approved a contract to acquire body cameras for each of the county’s 565 certified deputy sheriffs and a policy that will govern their use.  The contract is for just over $2.5 million with WatchGuard Video, and the money to procure the cameras is being made available by the commissioners from the county’s General Fund.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and are inspired by his example of tireless service to others.  Difficult times require us to work collectively for a brighter future, and for our nation to finally live out the self-evident truth that all men are created equal.  The commissioners encourage all Franklin County residents to set aside time today for service to the community in honor of King’s legacy and to continue to make our county a wonderful place to live.

 

The Franklin County commissioners this morning announced that water and sewer rates for their customers would be unchanged for 2022.  The county’s Sanitary Engineering division has about 4,000 water customers and close to 6,000 sewer customers in more than 30 small service areas around the county, and annual rate increases usually mirror those implemented by the City of Columbus. 
 

Yesterday, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners selected Erica C. Crawley to serve as president of the board for 2022.  Commissioner Crawley was appointed to the board in July following the retirement of long-time commissioner, Marilyn Brown.  She is the first African-American woman to serve on the board and the first to serve as board president.  Commissioner Crawley is a U.S. Navy veteran and previously represented the 26^th Ohio House District in the southeastern portion of Franklin County.
 

At their final meeting of 2021, the Franklin County Commissioners this morning voted unanimously in favor of a county budget for 2022 that is balanced and forward-looking, and which contains no fee or tax increases.