Commissioners add program funding, budget committee to have final say

FARMINGTON – Commissioners reestablished funding for two outside agencies during a lengthy and at-times emotional review of the 2015-16 budget at Tuesday morning’s meeting. The revised budget now goes to the advisory committee for final approval.

County Commissioners Gary McGrane of Jay and Clyde Barker of Strong voted to fund Western Maine Community Action at the requested amount of $40,000, rather than the budget advisory committee’s level of $33,000, and Greater Franklin County Development Corp. at $50,000, an increase of $8,000 over the committee’s recommendation. Commissioners also approved a $500 reduction to an insurance line.

The committee had previously cut roughly $123,000 out of the $5.91 million budget proposed by commissioners, targeting a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office cruiser, insurance expenditures and approximately $39,000 in the Programs & Grants section. That section, which represents approximately $250,000 in funding requests by a dozen outside agencies, typically draws the majority of public comment and committee member discussion.

At the June 25 meeting, the committee voted 6-3 to fund $33,000 of Western Maine Community Action’s request of $40,000; for $42,000 of Greater Franklin Development Corporation’s $60,000 request, for $30,000 of SeniorsPlus’ $34,000 request. The committee also voted unanimously to fund $10,000 of Tri County Mental Health’s request of $20,000, a reduction also previously recommended by commissioners.

Following the committee deliberations, the commissioners review the budget one final time and may opt to make changes. Each change requires unanimous support from the commissioners, an element of the statute which immediately drew discussion due to the absence of one commissioner. Commissioner Fred Hardy of New Sharon has not been attending meetings over the past few weeks due to health reasons, leaving the commissioners down one member.

While a quorum was required to make decisions, it did not appear that all three commissioners were required to be present to change the county budget, District Attorney Andrew Robinson suggested after reviewing the statute. All commissioners at the meeting had to agree to reverse a budget committee change, rather than all three commissioners in existence.

With that legal issue addressed, McGrane and Barker moved swiftly through the operating budget. That included the reduction of one patrol cruiser for the FCSO, $5,000 out the part-time deputy fund and a number of cuts relating to lower health insurance costs. The budget put forward by the committee did include funds for office furniture and a restitution specialist position at the District Attorney’s Office. At Tuesday’s meeting, Robinson noted that he would presenting information and options relating to that position to the commissioners at a later date.

Commissioners moved to accept the committee’s bottom-line budget for Programs & Grants at $217,000, then both voted against the motion, expressing their concern with cuts to two programs: WMCA and GFDC.

Budget committee member and Farmington Selectman Stephan Bunker, who was one of three members voting against cutting both programs, suggested that they did fall under umbrella of “essential services.”

“I don’t think we have benefited some of our citizens with these votes,” Bunker said. He noted that if cuts were to be imposed, a “clear message” needed to be sent to the impacted agency about why the committee felt the reduction was warranted. Otherwise, he asked, how could the agency improve its service?

Bill Crandall, manager for WMCA’s housing and energy services program, unwrapped two packages of basic food stuffs that WMCA provided to needy citizens. Saying that while he considered himself to be a compassionate conservative, he said he was upset about the committee’s proposed cut.

“This is upsetting to me,” Crandall said, voice breaking up as he stacked canned food on the commissioners’ table. “I don’t think we should take [budget cuts] out on our cold [residents], out on our elderly, and our low income people. I think we’re going in the wrong direction.”

McGrane also became emotional as he addressed the WMCA cut. While issues such as immigration and terrorism were grabbing national headlines, McGrane said, “we can’t even take care of our own.”

“My section [of the county] needs this,” Barker said in support of WMCA, “and it needs it bad.”

Both Bunker and Crandall said that the budget advisory committee needed to state specific reasons for proposed funding reductions. Registrar Susan Black also suggested that the committee should consider putting aside some “bad personalities.” When asked by Committee Chair and Avon Selectman John Calloway to clarify her remark, Black said that she felt that Calloway was sometimes rude to those speaking.

“When they start repeating themselves, that’s when I shut them down,” Calloway said.

In some cases, Crandall said, committee members were making decisions on erroneous information, which could not be corrected from those in attendance. Calloway said that was what the public hearing component of the process was for.

Barker and McGrane restored all of WMCA’s requested $40,000 in county funding, adding $7,000 to the committee’s proposed budget. They then restored $8,000 of GFDC’s funding. That would leave GFDC with less than their requested $60,000, but more than the committee’s proposed $42,000.

Barker also moved to alter SeniorsPlus’ funding, lowering it from the committee’s recommended $30,000 to $10,000. Barker said that Franklin County was “not getting a fair shake” from the agency, and complained that elder citizens north of Farmington were getting bagged lunches and TV dinners rather than a hot meal, due to the closure of the Wilton kitchen. That cut would also more than offset the increases for GFDC and WMCA, Barker pointed out.

McGrane did not second Barker’s motion, leaving the line at $30,000.

Barker also said he intended to see SeniorsPlus’ funding returned to a town-by-town basis. Calloway said he “rather liked the idea.”

The commissioners also made a minor change to the insurance line, reducing the Maine County Commissioners Association risk pool funding by a little less than $500. That change was due to the MCCA setting the rate lower than the budgeted $71,982.

That leaves the budget at $5,183,793, or $2,549 above the LD1 tax cap. The commissioners voted to exceed the cap.

The budget advisory committee now must schedule a meeting to address the three changes proposed by commissioners. The committee can overrule a change proposed by the commissioners with a two-thirds majority. The budget that comes out of that meeting will be the final budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

While the county can operate on the last budget’s amount until a new budget is approved, according to County Clerk Julie Magoon, the county will need to make its tax commitment for the next fiscal year by July 15.