$18.7M budget approved

RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County commissioners have approved an $18,534,053 Fiscal Year 2026 budget that includes a 5% base pay raise for General Fund, Solid Waste and Road Department employees.

The budget was approved Sept. 30 during a special called meeting.

County Administrator Leah Mansell said the budget allotments include $10,957,011.03fortheGeneral Fund; $3,775,835.96 for the Solid Waste Department; and $3,801,206.02 for the Highway Department.

The new budget is $102,125.22 greater than the FY25 budget of $18,431,927.79.

The FY26 budget includes a 4.75% increase in the cost of health care insurance increases that the county will absorb, Mansell said.

She explained the county covers 100% of an employee’s individual health insurance. The employee pays an additional $313 per month for family coverage, she said.

Mansell said the Sheriff’s Department accounts for 52% of the county’s general fund budget.

The budget includes three new patrol vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department.

This is done to rotate older vehicles out of the fleet to reduce maintenance costs, County Commission Chairman and Probate Judge Barry Moore said.

“What we’ve done in the Sheriff’s Department is we try to get him two or three cars every year,” Moore said.

Mansell said the budget includes a $575,000 annual bond debt payment for the county jail.

“That won’t go off until 2035,” Moore said.

Mansell said the Solid Waste Department’s budget includes two garbage trucks, while the Highway Department’s budget includes money for three work trucks.

“Our very conservative surplus estimate is about $58,200,” Mansell said.

“It’s going to be a very tight budget,” said Moore.