PARIS – The Oxford County Sheriff’s Office will not get money for another road patrol deputy next year, even though the sheriff has said staffing is inadequate.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Oxford County Commissioners Albert “Jim” Carey Jr. and Steve Merrill tried to overturn the Budget Committee’s earlier vote not to include the $46,100 needed to fund a 10th deputy.

Commissioner Fred Kennard backed the Budget Committee’s stance, so the committee’s vote stood. Commissioners needed to be unanimous in order for the cut to be reconsidered.

Carey said he thought an extra road patrol deputy was needed to benefit some of the county’s smaller towns that do not have their own police department. Kennard, who represents Rumford, Mexico and northern Oxford County, said, however, that residents of his area were opposed to the idea.

Commission Chairman Steve Merrill of Norway said this year’s committee was better informed and more involved in the budget process than in some years past. “It’s been interesting, to say the least,” he said.

Oxford County Sheriff Lloyd “Skip” Herrick and Chief Deputy Jim Davis had lobbied hard for the 10th patrol deputy. They said they will make the request again next year.

The sheriff’s office has had at a nine-person patrol staff, plus a full-time detective, since 1993. In 1998, the office entered into a call sharing agreement with Maine State Police to help with more calls.

Calls for service have increased significantly in the past decade, as have the needs for record-keeping.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide the necessary services and meet the expectations of the citizens we serve without adequate manpower,” Herrick and Davis wrote in a letter to Budget Committee members and commissioners.

Commissioners gave final approval to a county budget of $4.34 million for 2004. Of that, $3.26 million will be raised by taxes. The budget reflects a 5.42 percent increase over last year. The increase for 2003 was 6.43 percent.

ggeraghty@sunjournal.com

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