AUBURN – Hiring a county manager was suggested after questions were raised at the Androscoggin County Budget Committee meeting.

Lewiston city councilor and Budget Committee member Renee Bernier suggested increasing the budget to fund an administrator as a means of accountability and a means of finding grant money.

“I think we’re at a point where we need a county manager to run the show,” she said.

Seven of the 16 Maine counties have county managers. The issue has surfaced in Androscoggin County several times in recent years.

Committee Chairman Paul Labrecque said the county would have to adopt a charter first.

A total of $5,554 was cut from the sheriff’s budget, leaving the department’s final budget at $1,444,402. A proposal that surfaced at the same meeting called for $50,000 cut from the salary line item, a move that would have eliminated two deputies,” according to Capt. Raymond Lafrance. “If you make this $50,000 cut we will lay off two people. It (the amount in the line item) is to a T.’ There is no wiggle room here.”

Michael Bowie questioned if there is money lingering in the budget and the actual amount in the surplus account.

No action was taken on the proposed $50,000 cut.

The committee reinstated $4,000 of the $5,000 cut from the county’s contribution to the Central Maine Violent Crimes Task Force after Chief Deputy Guy Desjardins explained that the annual contribution saves a larger amount in the jail budget. With the task force, more offenders from Androscoggin County are transferred to federal custody and housed at the Cumberland County Jail in Portland.

Bowie also suggested cutting the contingency account from $100,000 to $40,000 if the committee fails to reduce the tax hike to zero. County Treasurer Robert Poulin explained that a state statute requires that the contingency account be $100,000.

The County Commission returned a $9,327,669 budget with a proposed 2.81 percent tax increase after the Budget Committee rejected a proposed budget with a 15.8 percent tax hike last month. Several Budget Committee members have called 2.81 percent too much and support no tax hike.

The Budget Committee will meet with the University of Maine Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties Cooperative Extension Service, Time and Tide Resource Conservation and Development Area and Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District Dec. 15. The three nonprofit agencies were denied their funding requests. The total amount cut was $64,500.

Bowie questioned whether the committee should meet with the groups. “We all have hard choices to make,” he said.

“I think we owe them at least that hour of our time,” Labrecque said.