FARMINGTON – In the final review session of the 2015-16 county budget, the commissioners’ attempt to restore funding to two program grants on Tuesday was quickly reversed by a majority of the budget advisory committee at their meeting Wednesday evening.
The committee’s action formally approved this fiscal year’s budget total of $5,798,943. The last fiscal year’s budget total was $5,651,249. With a total estimated revenue of $622,00 coming in, the county tax assessment total comes to $5,176,943, which is $4,850 under the LD 1 tax cap. The budget total does not include the jail’s operations totaling $1.2 million.
Of two disputed line items of the budget remaining, the committee overruled the commissioners’ votes to fund Western Maine Community Action at the requested amount of $40,000 and set it at the level they approved earlier of $33,000, and Greater Franklin County Development Corp. at $50,000, an increase of $8,000 over the committee’s $42,000 recommendation. The committee also approved a $500 reduction to an insurance line.
In the back and forth funding deliberations over the last few months, the committee of nine selectmen from towns across the county, last month trimmed about $123,000 from the $5.91 million budget proposed by the three commissioners.
Among the committee’s cuts were one sheriff’s office cruiser, insurance expenditures and $39,750 in the Programs & Grants funding requests by a dozen outside agencies. On Tuesday, two commissioners, Gary McGrane of Jay and Clyde Barker of Strong, sent the committee back into session by both voting to restore their funding levels to two of the agencies. Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon was not attending due to health reasons.
At Wednesday committee meeting, a two-thirds majority was required to override the commissioners’ votes. There was no discussion.
“We’ve heard all we need to hear from anybody,” said John Calloway, a selectman of Avon who serves as the committee’s chair.
A motion was made to fund WMCA at their requested amount of $40,000, with Stephan Bunker of Farmington and D. Scott Taylor of Wilton voting for it and the seven other selectmen of the committee: Calloway, Timothy DeMillo of Jay, David Archer of Chesterville, Joshua Bell of Farmington, Ray Gaudette of Phillips, Gerald “Mike” Pond of Strong and Thomas Goding of Jay, voting against the motion.
The 2-7 vote overruled the commissioners’ attempt to restore funding and their earlier majority vote to fund it at $33,000 remained in place. The same vote configuration was cast against funding Greater Franklin County Development Corporation at the commissioners’ level of $50,000. The organization had requested $60,000. In the end, $42,000 was approved by the committee.
Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, July 7, and among their duties will be to approve the tax commitment.
