Board of County Commissioners

Overview

Duties

Setting the amount of county taxes and authorizing payment of county bills. The Commissioners adopt a yearly budget.
Care of county public buildings and other county property.
County roads.
Defending all actions for and against the county.
Making laws for the county. In Franklin County, most laws are adopted by ordinance and are included in the Franklin County Code. Franklin County laws include fire codes, boating regulations, burning regulations, business registration, development regulations, planning codes, building codes, plumbing codes, and electrical codes, Franklin County Right to Farm ordinance, litter control, noise control, sales and use taxes, solid waste laws, and speed limits on county roads.
Setting county policies.
Serving on other boards such as the Franklin County Disability Board, Benton-Franklin Health District, Ben Franklin Transit, Emergency Management Board, Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area (GWMA) and Workforce Development Council.
The Commissioners are responsible for the administration of all non-elected departments in the county.

FAQs

What is the population and size of Franklin County?

Franklin County consists of 1,242 square miles, equating to 795,000 acres. As of 2014, the population of Franklin County is 87,809.

How do I contact the Department of Social and Health Services?

To contact the local Department of Social and Health Services, call 509-545-1400. To report Welfare fraud, call 800-562-6906.

Why is County Spelled with a V on the front of the Courthouse?

The Franklin County Courthouse was built in 1912 and dedicated on April 13, 1913. The courthouse is a neo-classical building and many architects working in this style referenced the classical buildings of Rome and Greece. V is actually a U in Latin, which, of course, was the language of ancient Rome. Its application to a 20th-century building is a bit of an affectation, but architects would apply this as a way to reference classical buildings from antiquity. In 1978, the Franklin County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Do you have property assessment / tax information online?

Yes we do! Visit the Assessor page, or call 509-545-3506 for assistance.

How do I get a copy of a birth or death certificate?

For information on how to obtain a birth certificate, contact:

Benton-Franklin County Health District
7102 W Okanogan Place
Kennewick WA 99336
Phone: 509-460-4200

Email
Website

The Washington State Department of Health, Center for Health Statistics issues certified copies of Birth, Death, Marriage, and Divorce certificates, for events that occurred within the State of Washington. These certificates can be ordered online from VitalChek.

Where do I get a marriage license?

You can get a marriage license at the Franklin County Auditor's office, located at 1016 N 4th Avenue, Pasco, WA 99301, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The cost is $58, and the license must be purchased at least 3 days in advance of the wedding. The license is then good for 60 days.

To verify the current Marriage License fee, call the Recording Department in the Auditor's Office at 509-545-3536.

How do I get a copy of a marriage certificate?

To get a copy of a marriage certificate, send in both names and the year they were married. Cost is $3 for a certified copy.

Franklin County Auditor
P.O. Box 1451
Pasco, WA 99301

How do I get a copy of a divorce decree?

Divorce Decrees are handled by the Franklin County Clerk's office.

Please contact the Clerk's office in advance by calling 509-545-3525. They need to know how many pages the decree is, so they can charge you the correct amount. The cost for copies is $.50 per page. The cost for a certified copy is $5 for the first page and $1 per page thereafter.

How do I get a passport?

Passports are issued by the Clerk's office. Applications may be picked up at the Clerk's office or online at Travel.State.Gov website.

How do I request copies of public documents?

Request forms, fee schedules, contacts and other relevant information can be found in the Public Records Requests section of the Franklin County website.

How do I contact the Master Gardener?

To contact the Master Gardener, call 509-736-2726. They are physically located in the Kennewick WSU Extension Office, 5600 E West Canal Place. For directions to the Kennewick Office, contact Franklin County WSU Extension at 509-545-3511.

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Board of County Commissioners

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Clint Didier

Rocky Mullen

Brad Peck

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