PARIS – Oxford County commissioners on Tuesday approved a $4.9 million budget that calls for spending to rise by 9 percent next year. The new budget takes effect Jan. 1.
Expenditures are expected to increase from an estimated $4.4 million in 2005. About $3.8 million will be raised by taxes, as total revenue and credits next year are budgeted at $1.1 million. That amount includes a surplus transfer of $100,000.
The largest budget increases are not under the county’s control. Auditing is up 50 percent, interest will increase by 52 percent, and deferred compensation will rise by 49 percent as employees elected to defer a greater percentage of their salaries as a retirement hedge.
Auditing requirements and interest rates both increased.
The vote Tuesday keeps in place the budget that was hammered out by the County Budget Committee in November. Commissioners did not make any revisions.
The budget also keeps in place a requested full-time victim-witness advocate position in the District Attorney’s Office. The commissioners had cut the request down to a half-time position, but the full-time status was reinstated by the committee at its November work session.
Looking at other individual departments, spending at the fire department will rise by 25 percent next year because of an increase in insurance rates. The county commissioners’ expenditures will rise to $125,000 next year from an estimated $95,259 this year because of the creation of an appointed county administrator/manager position.
Spending at the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office also will rise, to $991,300 next year from an estimated $865,681 in 2005, largely because of three new deputy positions that will be year-round jobs in 2006.
In other business, David Duguay of Byron was elected chairman of the commissioners, starting Jan. 1. Commissioner Steven Merrill of Norway has been serving as chairman. The position rotates yearly among the three commissioners. Both are Republicans.
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