Efficient, Responsive, & Fiscally Sustainable Government Operations

The commissioners’ commitment to Efficient, Responsive, and Fiscally Sustainable government can be found in all that they do. It’s the hallmark of a strong and accountable local government and is reflected in everything from the way that the commissioners manage our county’s $2 billion budget, to the way that they recruit, retain, and take care of the best local government workforce in Ohio.

Office of Management and Budget

The commissioners are responsible for the entire county budget, including those of other elected county officials, and it’s all managed and balanced by their Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Overseeing these funds requires careful planning to ensure that the commissioners and their agencies can provide the level of service that our residents expect and that they are prepared to respond to any issues that may arise. The Office of Management and Budget also safeguards our county’s Double Triple-A bond rating which, like a credit score, allows the county to borrow money at lower interest rates. During the pandemic, OMB has also been tasked with overseeing the expenditure of $256 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help get our community and residents back on track.

County Budget at a Glance:

3%

Local governments nationwide with Double Triple-A credit

40+%

All funds budget is devoted to human services

57.4%

General Fund budget is devoted to safety and security

$85 million

Franklin County's Rainy Day Fund

43.5%

End-of-year General Fund cash balance as a percentage of expenditures

$212+ million

American Rescue Plan funds have been allocated

American Rescue Plan Selected Allocations:

$2 million

Infrastructure

$8.14 million

Housing

$19.24 million

Health

$26.7 million

Jobs & Economic Development

$42.7 million

Social Services

Full federal reporting is available at recovery.franklincountyohio.gov.

Human Resources

The commissioners recognize that their greatest asset is their more-than 1,600 employees who work to serve our residents, and they rely on their Human Resources department to help them recruit and retain the best possible workforce to serve our community.

In addition to retirement and excellent health insurance, the county offers a wide range of other benefits that offer the best possible work/life balance, including:

Disability programs.
Domestic partner benefits.
Employee assistance program.
Adoption assistance.
Paid family leave to care for a new child or sick loved one.
Minimum wage of $17 an hour.

ThriveOn

One of the great benefits of working for Franklin County is the commissioners’ continued focus on wellness. The county’s wellness program, ThriveOn, encourages employees to make the changes they need in order to live and be well. It recognizes that wellness is a lifestyle, not just physical activity and nutrition, but also emotional and environmental health, and that it is a journey.

ThriveOn offers a variety of supports to county employees, including:

Gym membership reimbursement.
Tobacco cessation programming.
Financial incentives.
Health coaching.
Nutrition counseling.
Maternity support.
Access to comprehensive cancer resources.
Dedicated on-call nurses for both physical and emotional health support and more.

ThriveOn introduced new Wellness Your Way programming this year with a thoughtful menu of health activities and incentives focusing on physical, emotional, and financial well-being and, as usual, sponsored the annual Franklin County 5K and ThriveOn Challenge.

In addition to retirement and excellent health insurance, the county offers a wide range of other benefits that offer the best possible work/life balance, including:

Employees received more than 200 virtual training sessions last year, attended by 2,200 employees.
More than 1,000 of the more than 1,600 employees who work for the commissioners earned a retention bonus in 2022.
More than 840 employees and family members participated in the 2022 Franklin County 5k.

Award-Winning Teams

In fact, this investment the commissioners make in their team is award-winning. In 2022, the county was named the Fifth Healthiest Employer in Ohio for its size and achieved a gold-level award from the Healthy Business Council of Ohio for the healthiest worksites.

Human Resources by the Numbers:

288

Jobs posted

5,688

Applications received

44

New positions created

Combined Charitable Campaign

Each year Franklin County employees can contribute a portion of their salaries as a donation to charitable organizations that impact our local community. Franklin County was the only public sector campaign in our region that met its fundraising goal this year, raising more than $289,000.

Café Overlook

In 2022, the commissioners opened Café Overlook in partnership with established restauranteurs to create a workforce development initiative for justice-involved residents wanting to get a start in the restaurant industry. Café Overlook provides livable wages and benefits for its employees, located on the 16th floor of 373 S. High St. The menu offers delicious, fresh food at reasonable prices for county employees and guests to the county building. Daily food choices include sandwiches, coffee, salads, pastries, and more.

Doing Business with the County

It takes a lot of people working hard to ensure that the county is as efficient as it can be in its spending and, including teams in the county Purchasing Department, Print Shop, and Mail Room.

Here is a look at all purchase orders passed by resolution:

6,547	Total number of purchase orders
$442,349,789.60	Total dollar amount of purchase orders
3,073	Vendors registered to do business with the county
Print Shop:
14,591,435	Total number of impressions
839,564	Total number of printed ballots
$1,221,596.33	Savings by using the county print shop
Mail Services:
1,761,162	Pieces of mail processed
$227,673.62	Savings by using the county mailroom
Surplus Auction:
3,888 items sold on GovDeals totaling $4,811,458.77 from 2003-2023

Good Stewardship of Natural Resources, Environmental Sustainability, & Civic Engagement
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