AUBURN – County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously rejected a $9.28 million budget approved by a county-wide Budget Committee two weeks ago.

Androscoggin County Commission Chairman Elmer Berry called for rejection on Jan. 6 due to concerns about shortfalls of the budget, especially funding for rural law enforcement.

On Tuesday, the commission reinstated $75,860 for law enforcement and nonprofit agencies.

The revised budget will go back to the County Budget Committee, which will vote on the changes. A two-thirds majority is needed to prevent the changes from going into effect. If the committee supports the commissioners’ changes, the new figures approved Tuesday would remain in the budget.

“We’ll sit and wait to see what the Budget Committee does,” Berry said.

During budget discussions in November, commissioners cut the University of Maine Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties Cooperative Extension Service and two other nonprofit agencies to zero funding after the Budget Committee rejected the first draft of the proposed 2005 county budget.

The commission then pared a proposed 15.8 percent tax increase to 2.81 percent, with outside financial support cut and funding for several county departments reduced. Several Budget Committee members called 2.81 percent too much of an increase and supported no tax hike.

The committee proposed eliminating funding for Cooperative Extension, Time and Tide Resource Conservation and Development Area, and Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District. The original budget called for 2005 funding at the same level as 2003 and 2004 for all three.

After an emotional public hearing in December, half of the funding was restored to the three nonprofits with discussions about revisiting it in the spring. At issue was the possibility of Sagadahoc County funding a larger portion of the extension budget.

The commission voted Tuesday to restore full funding to three nonprofit agencies and to negotiate with Sagadahoc County.

Funding approved Tuesday would also maintain Sheriff’s Department reserve patrol shifts at the level of two per week, retain the dive team, allow overtime to replace deputies who are out sick and keep traffic enforcement details.

The $9.2 million budget rejected by commissioners included a 1.94 percent increase in taxation.