Franklin County Sales Tax Could Rise Next Year

Franklin County Commissioners are poised to raise the county sales tax by a half percent next Tuesday. A quarter percent of that will be permanent, the other quarter percent will expire after five years, according to County Commissioner John O'Grady O'Grady said the hike is due to funding cuts by both the state and federal government. "They've reduced the state and federal funding to local governments. We still have to provide those services to citizens of the county and we got to come up with the revenue source to make that happen," O'Grady said. O'Grady said the additional revenue will be used for the continuation of county services and the construction of a new jail and morgue. If passed, the sale tax increase will take effect January first.