PARIS – At least 40 people attended a public hearing Wednesday as county commissioners offered the line items of a $4.59 million county budget and $586,120 unorganized township budget.

“This is the largest crowd that I can remember,” said Carole Mahoney, commission administrative assistant who was participating in her 22nd public hearing on the budget.

The hearings are a public review of the budget as created by county department heads. The budget will next be reviewed by the nine-member budget committee and then, as required by law, sent to commissioners before Dec. 1.

Commissioners can alter budget committee changes to department requests, but then the committee has the last say and can reject any commission changes with a two-thirds vote.

The County Sheriff’s Office budget generated the most discussion. The budget request is up 11 percent from $693,785 budgeted in 2003 to $770,135 proposed for 2004.

Not included in the Sheriff’s Office budget, but controlled by it, is the budget for the Oxford County Jail, which reflects a 9.72 percent rise form $1 million budgeted in 2003 to $1,097,210 sought in 2004.

Selectman Monique Aniel of Mexico questioned the high cost of keeping prisoners and wondered if Medicaid could not cover some of the costs.

Sheriff Lloyd Herrick said federal law states that when a person receiving Medicaid services crosses through the jail or prison door, those services are suspended for the incarceration period.

“It’s a disgrace to the taxpayers in Maine and in all the states,” Herrick said. “I’ve taken this up with Sen. Olympia Snow, Sen. Susan Collins and recently (Rep.) Tom Allen.

“It’s a complete rip-off,” he said.

He also told the crowd that the budget includes the cost of adding one new deputy, which reflects a cost of a little more than $1 for each of the approximate 54,000 residents of Oxford County.

He said he will seek to add another deputy in 2005 and in 2006.

Supporting the request were Chief Deputy James A. Davis, who said federal statistics from the Uniform Crime Report show that the 32 towns in Oxford County without a municipal law enforcement agency had one-half of a deputy for every 1,000 citizens. Rumford had 2.4 officers, and Bethel and Mexico 1.3 officers for every 1,000 people. All three towns have police departments.

“We need more help. Our guys are at risk; backup is not five minutes away,” Davis said.

He also reminded budget committee members J. Eugene Boivin, selectman in Rumford, and Dennis Sanborn, selectman in Oxford, that they are on the committee to represent all the residents of Oxford County, not just their towns.

Boivin and Sanborn were outspoken critics of the Sheriff Office’s budget last year.

Paris Selectman Bruce Hansen was not opposed to adding a deputy but questioned whether or not the towns without municipal police could pick up the cost.

Carol Worthley of South Hiram said business owners there have expressed frustration and anger because vandalism and crime from drug operations have increased in the area and they want more protection from the sheriff.

Canton Selectman Chris Wainwright, an Oxford County deputy sergeant, said residents of Oxford County have got to come together as a community and get away from the squabbling concerning cost and extent of service from the sheriff.

Commissioner Steven Merrill also told those at the meeting that they are seeking to spend $100,000 from the capital reserve building account for improvements to the County Building, citing electrical and American with Disabilities Act deficiencies.

No residents from the unorganized territories were present, and there were no questions concerning the amounts proposed to be spent.

Boivin did wonder how much the unorganized territories’ budget cost the county.

Mahoney assured him that there was no cost to the county.

The budget committee is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at the county commission boardroom to further explore the budget.

jsmedley@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link