AUBURN – County commissioners recently considered a proposed 9.67 percent budget increase for the Androscoggin County Jail.

The jail budget was reduced by $5,800. Sheriff Ronald Gagnon’s original request for $3,515,349 is $309,881 higher than the 2003 appropriation.

After the adjustments were made, the bulk of the increase remains in the $3,383,445 operations budget. It is a 7.95 percent increase over 2003. The capital request of $126,100 reflects a 91.65 percent over the $65,800 appropriation for the current year.

Adjustments made by the commissioners were the elimination of $7,400 to make a part-time cook full time and a reduction of $1,500 from a $3,000 line item to upgrade furniture and fixtures in the training room. The $8,904 reduced from the operations budget was offset by $3,100 in increases that were decided upon following discussions between Gagnon and the commissioners. The increases are $2,500 for cleaning and disinfecting supplies and $600 for meals. A $3,000 line item for a two-door cooler was transferred from the expense to the revenue side of the budget because federal funds became available to pay for it.

Repairs account for a considerable amount of the increases in the budget.

Proposed increases in the operations budget include the following:

• Salaries and wages, $1,980,079 requested, up 13.7 percent.

• Equipment repairs, $13,000 requested, up 85.7 percent includes repairs of door locks, laundry and refrigeration equipment.

• Medical and medicines, $100,000 requested, up 17.65 percent due to a significant rise in the cost of medication.

The increase in salaries and wages includes contractual increases, the upgrading of a part-time cook to full time at a cost of about $8,000 and the addition of a 53rd payroll week as required at a cost of about $37,500.

Capital requests include $71,000 for building improvements including replacement of carpeting in the jail visiting room and in several offices, a sprinkler system in the medical office, replacement of smoke detectors as required by a fire inspection, an upgrade of the air handling system due partly to a mold buildup ($50,000 of the $71,000). There are also capital requests for $1,500 to purchase three Glock 40 caliber semiautomatic handguns, $21,400 for furniture and fixtures, $18,200 for the second installment on the three-year lease-purchase of two jail transport vehicles and $14,000 for computer software and hardware upgrades.

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