FARMINGTON – County commissioners have indicated that the county will not be accepting funding requests from outside agencies that did not receive funding last year.
Two of the three commissioners indicated that was their preference in response to a letter from Farmington Selectman Stephan Bunker. The selectman, who supports funding outside organizations through the county’s Program & Grants cost center, said he wanted to confirm the organizations’ standing prior to the start of the budget process. The county budget process concludes in June, which is after many towns hold their annual meetings. Last year, Bunker noted, some agencies learned too late they would not receive funding at the county level.
Impacted agencies would include Franklin County Adult Education, Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services and Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, all of which received no funding last year and would not be eligible for funding this year. Greater Franklin Development Council also received no funding through Programs & Grants; that economic development agency does work with the county in other capacities, such as through the Tax Increment Financing committee.
Programs eligible for consideration for funding, listed at last year’s final amounts, include Children’s Task Force at $5,000, Western Maine Transportation at $7,500, Western Maine Community Action at $20,000, SeniorsPlus at $10,000 and Soil & Water at $20,000. Those amounts were reduced last year by varying amounts; Programs & Grants were reduced $147,800 last year from the requested total.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension also receives $50,000 through a separate budget entry; those expenditures are required by law.
Commissioner Chair Charlie Webster of Farmington cited the recent valuation losses at the Verso mill in Jay last year, and the valuation losses this year, as part of his motivation in making and maintaining the reductions.
“If we cut them out last year, we aren’t going to fund them this year,” Webster said, adding he was unwilling to fund outside agencies at the county level with property taxes.
Commissioner Clyde Barker of Strong disagreed, saying he “strongly support[ed]” some of the programs. “District 3 needs [Western Maine] Community Action,” Barker said, saying the organization helped insulate residents’ homes in his district. “I feel we ought to fund that one at least what we funded before.”
Commissioner Terry Brann of Wilton agreed with Webster, noting that Jay had already decided to only move forward by supporting local charities and organizations.
County Clerk Julie Magoon suggested that a letter be drafted to the impacted organizations, indicating the commissioner’s position. Bunker agreed, saying that would provide those groups with clarity in advance of the March town meetings. It did not, Bunker said, provide the same assistance for organizations at risk of further reduction, leaving them in “limbo” between the town meeting and county budget cycle.
In other business, commissioners approved hiring two part-time employees at the Franklin County Detention Center, replacing one employee that moved to full-time and another that left the county’s employ. Commissioners approved Basil Mosher of Chesterville and Tyler Gervais of Wilton as part-time employees; they will attend Maine Criminal Justice Academy corrections officer training soon.
WHY won’t someone run against Webster?
The County Commissioners let down the citizens of Franklin County last year with their reckless and irrational cuts. This directly negatively impacted unemployment, incarceration and dependency on social services – not the direction we want to move in. Despite scores of citizens objecting at the budget meeting they chose not to listen. Now here we go again. Glad they increased funding to the jail because they are going to need it.
Glenn Kapiloff, Director
Franklin County Adult Education
Who should we look for, someone who likes to tax the daylights out of everyone ? What is needed is another WEBSTER!
@Woodsman…Agree!
The real thanks should go to Terry Brann for winning the election. Now another fiscal conservative should target Barker’s seat.
Keep in mind that the cuts did not equal less county spending it just shifted the cut amounts plus some to the jail. That’s the real joke here. Yes, someone please run against Webster, he needs to move on.
Why has the County become another United Way? Should they be collecting tax money (rather than donations) and redistributing it? Do the County duties and obligations need re-defining?
Way to go commissioners! Responsible conservatism is what all these towns need. I applaud you all!
Here is a short “true” story for allllllll those worried liberals. A few years ago I stopped at the Wendy’s in Auburn
for lunch. The was a Western Maine transport bus parked in back, diesel engine running. The driver was eating.
I got my meal, ate it in my truck (engine off) went back inside and used the bathroom. When I came back out
the driver was walking around the parking lot smoking a cigarette. I killed a few more minutes to see how long
that driver would hang around. I was there for at least 25 minutes. That bus never moved and the engine was
never turned off. When I got back to Farmington, I called that agency and spoke directly with the director and
told him what I saw. He told me that he would look into it. This same man makes over $150K a year to run
that wasteful agency. I know they do good work and help a lot of people, but they are also very wasteful!!!!!
It’s time that allllllllllll these agencies tighten their belts and find savings elsewhere. They can also do more
fund raising. Any taxpayer who is concerned can open their wallets and help out. It is not the responsibility
of the local governments to fund alllllll these non-profits. They need to learn to operate like normal businesses.
Charlie is a brave and good man. We need more conservative people on these agencies.
I’m sure these agencies will accept donations from anyone who wants to open their wallet.We should be thanking the commissioners for trying to responsible with our tax dollars
Sorry, Mike. That sounds like “Fake News”. CON servatives like us are really good at the CON part but really bad at the serv part. Con-dogs spend and raise taxes for the majority of us at the same rate but they constantly tell you it’s the other side of the coin. Con’s use one sided stories that project assumptions that feed on all of your assumptions about a situation and ignore the fact that they reality don’t know any of it. No doubt you saw something and you already wanted to prove something else but you don’t seem to know what it is, “Fake News’, sad, really SAD!