Franklin County will hold to the revenue-neutral rate in next year's budget. County Administrator Derek Brown announced it at the County Commission's annual budget hearing on August 5. The revenue-neutral rate is the one that would bring in the same property tax revenue as the year before.

It is the county's second revenue-neutral budget in four years. Brown said one way the county holds down costs is by leaving positions unfilled as employees leave, and it also leans on money other than county property taxes.

Few local governments manage it. KOFO noted that last year only about a third of the state's cities, and under half of its counties, set revenue-neutral budgets. Brown thanked the commissioners and county department heads for their work.

For details, see KOFO's reports on the budget hearing and how the county held costs down.