County commissioners offer $9.9M budget

AUBURN — Androscoggin County commissioners have unveiled their $9.9 million proposed spending package for the coming year, including money targeted for a charter effort, a new communications department and analyses of the aging county building.

In all, spending would increase by about $166,000, or 1.69 percent, over the current year's budget. Taxes to the county's 14 towns would climb by more than $323,000, or 4.24 percent.

"It's as tough as we could get it without cutting services," said Randall Greenwood, the commission chairman.

This is the first budget proposal authored by Greenwood and his fellow commissioners, Jonathan LaBonte and Elaine Makas. All three took office at the end of 2008.

The trio had hoped to finish their proposal sooner.

This summer they set a goal of Sept. 30. Instead, they were rushing to complete the inch-thick document — mostly a compilation of spreadsheets — before the Nov. 1 deadline set by state law.

"We're struggling with lots of stuff," Greenwood said. Among the issues is a still-outstanding contract with the Sheriff's Department labor union. Commissioners are also waiting for updated insurance numbers. Only last week, they were told that health insurance costs would rise by 8.2 percent.

"There's a lot to wrestle with," Greenwood said.

In the end, they managed to keep increases down while making some needed changes, Greenwood and LaBonte said.

"I think it's a very good place to start," LaBonte said.

The biggest addition in the proposal is $200,000 set aside for a new dispatch center. It will join a pool of $225,000 set aside last year.

In case the move to create a charter commission moves along, commissioners set aside $10,000 to fund the work of a county commission.

Commissioners have also earmarked $100,000 for repairs on the 152-year-old county building.

In part, the commission hopes to examine how much of the basement may be used again. Last year, commissioners ordered the area off limits as a regular work site, saying the air was foul smelling.

The move squeezed out several Sheriff's Department offices and left some patrol deputies to use borrowed office space. Other departments are also pinched.

"We need to know how much usable space we have," LaBonte said.

After that, the commissioners plan to consider a modernization of the building. Though day-to-day maintenance has been performed, more costly long-term maintenance has been avoided, Greenwood said.

The commissioners' proposal is scheduled to be considered when the county budget committee meets on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

dhartill@sunjournal.com