Franklin County, KS elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Franklin County: 10 seats on 6 elected bodies. 3 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Franklin County Board of Commissioners

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County Commissioner, District 1Colton Waymire Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 2Rod Harris source
County Commissioner, District 3Sabrina Meador source
County Commissioner, District 4Ianne Dickinson sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, District 5Donald Stottlemire Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet

Official website

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
County AttorneyBrandon L. Jones source
County ClerkJanet Paddock source
Register of DeedsVicki Hughes source
SheriffJeff Richards source
County TreasurerMarilyn Stevenson source

How many local governments Franklin County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 48 local governments in Franklin County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (8 municipal, 16 township)240
School districts (school boards)40
Special districts (elected boards)190

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Franklin County

26,106people
39.7median ageU.S.: 38.9
$77,207 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
8.7%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.6%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$198,700median home valueU.S.: $332,700
3%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
8.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
7.9%U.S.: 8.4%
41.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 4.8% · White 88.9% · Black 1.1% · Asian 0.6% · Other or more than one race 4.6% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Franklin County

3.6%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 3.6%. Kansas: 3.8%.
497people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
13,503people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
14,000in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Franklin County 0.0%1.5%3.0%4.5%6.0% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.6%49713,50314,000
August 20264.2%58813,31513,903
July 20264.2%58913,44414,033
June 20264.2%59413,55514,149
May 20263.5%50213,72414,226
April 20263.2%45313,83814,291
March 20263.9%54613,61614,162
February 20264.3%62113,73414,355
January 20264.3%60513,55314,158
December 20253.4%48113,84114,322
November 20253.3%46813,93214,400
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20253.6%51513,93414,449
August 20254.1%59413,72014,314
July 20254.6%66713,78914,456
June 20254.1%59513,98114,576
May 20253.5%48813,63214,120
April 20253.5%50313,71814,221
March 20254.1%57913,65114,230
February 20254.4%63113,65414,285
January 20254.3%60313,54114,144
December 20243.6%50613,68814,194
November 20243.5%49113,61914,110
October 20243.7%52313,72114,244
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.9%55713,76314,320
20243.8%53313,64214,175
20232.9%41613,75314,169
20222.8%38413,56713,951
20213.5%48313,18613,669
20205.7%76512,64413,409
20193.5%47012,80413,274
20183.8%50012,73713,237
20174.0%53512,84313,378
20164.5%60612,84813,454

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Kansas's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.8% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Franklin County

282.1 per 100,0002025. Kansas: 457.2.
716.1 per 100,0002025. Kansas: 1,796.5.
5murders2025, 78 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202578282.1198716.1
202448172.9246886.4
202371259.63531,290.7
202298358.93361,230.6
202173269.4252930.1
202076284.53531,321.5
201991339.43841,432.1
2018108401.64911,825.6
201796359.55281,977.2
201687326.55261,974.2
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Ottawa Police Department20252414212,758
Franklin County Sheriff's Office2025535011,634
Wellsville Police Department20242131,924

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Kansas · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.43 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 26,322 people.
64sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
9civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Franklin County Sheriff's Office28411,634
Ottawa Police Department29312,758
Wellsville Police Department721,930
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025642.4393
2024672.54103
2023572.19103
2022592.2793
2021652.52223
2020582.28103
2019622.43213
2018602.34143
2017642.51123
2016602.3693

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Franklin County County Attorney?
Brandon L. Jones is the County Attorney of Franklin County, Kansas.
Who is the Franklin County County Clerk?
Janet Paddock is the County Clerk of Franklin County, Kansas.
Who is the Franklin County Register of Deeds?
Vicki Hughes is the Register of Deeds of Franklin County, Kansas.
Who is the Franklin County Sheriff?
Jeff Richards is the Sheriff of Franklin County, Kansas.
Who is the Franklin County County Treasurer?
Marilyn Stevenson is the County Treasurer of Franklin County, Kansas.
Who are the Franklin County commissioners?
Colton Waymire (District 1); Rod Harris (District 2); Sabrina Meador (District 3); Ianne Dickinson (District 4); Donald Stottlemire (District 5).
What is the population of Franklin County?
About 26,106 people, with a median age of 39.7; the median household income is $77,207 and 8.7% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Franklin County?
3.6% in September 2026 (preliminary): 497 people unemployed in a labor force of 14,000, against 3.6% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Franklin County?
48 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 8 municipal, 16 township, 4 school district and 19 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county's own website, the Secretary of State's list of county election officers (the county clerks) and its 2024 official vote totals (district attorneys); officials appointed since a page was updated may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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