News Flash

  Public Warning: Scam Alert Targeting Franklin County Homeowners

County Administrator Brian Dansel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: February 3, 2026Contact: Franklin County Planning and Economic Development

Phone: (509) 545-3521Email: planninginquiry@franklincountywa.govWebsite: www.franklincountywa.gov

Public Warning: Scam Alert Targeting Franklin County Homeowners

Franklin County, WA — The Franklin County Planning and Economic Development Department is alerting the public to an ongoing scam targeting local property owners by falsely requesting wire payments for permit approvals. This scam is using the name of the County’s Planning & Building Director, Wes McCart, and mimics official communications to mislead recipients.

Please be aware: Franklin County does not request or accept wire transfers for permit payments.

A fraudulent email, appearing to come from a Franklin County department, is requesting homeowners to wire money to finalize permits. The email includes specific property information, mimics permit details, and urges recipients to send payment and proof via email. It also falsely claims to offer final approval for a Conditional Use Permit.

Key Red Flags of the Scam:

• Email errors and typos: The message contains numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes that are not typical of official County correspondence.
• Suspicious email address: The email is sent from “franklincountyplanningcommissin@usa.com” — a clear misspelling and not a legitimate Franklin County domain.
• Inaccurate fees: The requested fees are inconsistent with Franklin County’s official fee schedule.
• Wire transfer requests: Franklin County never requests payment via wire transfer for Planning and Building. All Planning & Building fees are paid through secure and approved methods as outlined on our official website.

What You Should Do:

• Do not respond to the email or send any money.
• Report the scam to the Franklin County Planning and Economic Development Department at (509) 545-3521.
• Verify all permit fees and application processes through our official website: www.franklincountywa.gov.
• Check the sender’s email address carefully before responding to any permit-related communication.

Franklin County takes the misuse of its department names and staff identities very seriously. We are working to identify and report the source of this fraudulent activity. If you believe you have been targeted or have questions about a Planning or Building permit, please contact our office directly.

Stay informed. Stay protected.For official communications and fee schedules, always refer to www.franklincountywa.gov.

Brian Dansel

County Administrator of Franklin County

bdansel@franklincountywa.gov

(509)545.3578

Franklin County Adopts 2026 Budget

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has adopted a nearly $55 million budget for 2026, prioritizing public safety and legally required services while avoiding any increase to property taxes.

The 2026 budget reflects projected revenue growth of more than 6% compared to the previous year and balances rising operational costs with long-term fiscal responsibility. After reviewing departmental funding requests, commissioners adjusted proposed expenditures to limit the overall budget impact.

The final adopted budget includes a projected deficit of approximately $48,000. County officials noted that approving all requested departmental increases would have resulted in a potential shortfall of more than $7.5 million, which was avoided through budget modifications.

Major funding priorities include more than $1.3 million for emergency communications to support replacement of aging 911 radio infrastructure, including improvements to radio towers, transmitters, and first-responder communication systems. Additional funding increases address rising jail medical costs and expanded public defense services to meet legal requirements.

The budget also allocates funding for capital projects to maintain county facilities and infrastructure.

Despite increased costs, the Board elected not to pursue a property tax levy increase, use banked levy capacity, or reallocate road funds. County departments are now operating under the adopted 2026 financial framework.

Source: Apple Valley News Nowhttps://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/franklin-countys-55-million-budget-prioritizes-public-safety-without-raising-property-taxes/article_c2dbca67-4246-4535-9bb3-7e4511fe339c.html

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