OTTAWA — Franklin County commissioners emphasized that when they raise everyone’s taxes; they raise their own, too. During Thursday night’s county annual budget hearing, commissioners passed a half-mill increase for the 2010 budget. The county’s current mill levy is 56.73. The approval of the tax increase was not unanimous. Don Hay didn’t vote for the increase because he said the public didn’t want any increase in the mill levy. The public hearing drew a handful of residents who opposed raising the mill levy and a few who thanked the commission for its work on the budget. County administrator Lisa Johnson said the biggest challenges the county faced during this busget season were increased employee benefit costs, less-than-expected valuations and a reduction in sales tax revenues.
