To our Franklin County Neighbors:
Welcome to the 2022 Franklin County State of the County report. We, at the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, are proud of the work our county government does every day. We aim to provide the best public service to each of our residents.
The past year has continued to be filled with challenges for all of us – individually and as a community – as COVID-19 has continued. Our focus has been in helping our county navigate COVID-19, both through a public health lens and addressing its devastating consequences. The Board of Commissioners has teamed up with Franklin County Public Health and other community partners to help distribute vaccines as well as educate residents on their importance. The Board of Commissioners provided assistance to our residents and our businesses to help them recover from COVID-19’s impact. This report highlights a few initiatives, including grants and loans to small businesses, rental and mortgage assistance to families, and the distribution of COVID-19 home test kits. The report provides information about how our county hopes to use funding from the American Rescue Plan to help our community in the years to come.
Despite the pandemic, Franklin County continues to prosper. Our county is the largest county in Ohio as well as the only large urban county in the Midwest that is steadily growing. In the past ten years, our population has increased by nearly 20 percent and our population is projected to increase by hundreds of thousands of more people in the coming decades. Our region is home to thirteen colleges and universities, sixteen Fortune 1,000 companies and it is the number-one area in the Midwest for job growth. However, we know that many Central Ohio families are not able to get ahead, due to systematic barriers, no matter how hard they work. Furthermore, we know that our black and brown families face additional hurdles to succeed.
The work of Franklin County’s government is to help those families thrive, and not just survive. We provide resources to families and individuals to meet their immediate needs as well as assistance to individuals to help them move up the economic mobility ladder. Our county Job and Family Services agency works with thousands of individuals and families to provide educational opportunities, family supports, workforce development, and emergency aid. Our Child Support division supports nearly 85,000 children, while our Office on Aging helps thousands of older residents by helping them stay in their own homes and delivering hot meals to their front doors. Franklin County helps support job growth through our Economic Development and Planning agency, supports non-profit agencies with our Community Partnership grants, and assists residents returning from incarceration with the resources they need to succeed with our Justice Policy and Programs team.
The Franklin County government touches the lives of every one of our residents. We strive to best serve our residents – by being prudent fiscal agents with our community’s tax dollars and helping uplift our residents in need. Thank you again for learning more about the work of Franklin County government.