FARMINGTON – Franklin County’s proposed budget for its unorganized territories is up more than $150,000, climbing to nearly a million dollars.

The increase is attributed to big jumps in the budgets for summer roads and snow removal.

The total proposed budget for the unorganized territories is $944,293. That’s up from the $784,029 approved for fiscal 2001-02 and the $815,638 approved in the 2002-03 fiscal year.

The net assessment will be $719,390, with money from excise tax, local road assistance, snowmobile revenues and surplus off-setting some of the total.

The proposed road budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year has nearly doubled, going from $187,700 approved last time around to a requested $309,000. Meanwhile, during the 2002-03 fiscal year, the approved budget for roads was $279,200, comparable to what is being requested for the coming fiscal year.

That figure is up so much, explained county road agent Paul McKeen at Tuesday morning’s county commissioners meeting, because of needed repairs to the Hatchery Road bridge, the Howard Road rip rap bank and the Reeds Mill retaining wall.

According to County Clerk Julie Magoon, the county receives the most feedback from residents regarding road conditions in the territories, which in general are considered to be in good shape.

If you listen to the people, Magoon said, roads are where they want their money spent.

The proposed budget for snow removal is up to $278,937 from the $253,937 approved last fiscal year. That amount is up, Magoon said, so the county can be more competitive in seeking snow removal contracts. Now, she explained, the county has to “beg” contractors to bid to plow, sand and salt the roads in the unorganized territories.

The amount requested for waste disposal is $92,345, down a tad from last year’s approved amount of $92,900. Requested cost for fire protection is up $200 from last fiscal year to $49,547 and the amount requested for ambulance service is up slightly to $44,238 from $40,400 approved last year.

The cost to maintain cemeteries in Freeman Ridge, Salem and elsewhere is the same as last year, $2,460, as are the budgets for street lights and paving, $800 and $100,000, respectively.

For the first time, the county will pay for animal control in the unorganized territories. Commissioners have budgeted $1,500 for the service, though it has not been decided who or how many animal control officers will be on call for the unorganized territories.

In the past, deputies from the sheriff’s department have taken care of animal control, however Sheriff Dennis Pike has said that it takes deputies away from their public safety duties.

According to Doreen Sheive, fiscal administrator for the unorganized territories, Franklin County’s valuation has increased by nearly $16 million in the past two years as a result of a revaluation of land in 2003 and of buildings in 2004.

The value of the county’s unorganized territories for 2002 was $114,990,735. The figure for 2004 is up to $130,856,086.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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