FARMINGTON – Franklin County commissioners cut $56,215 from a proposed $4.8 million in departmental requests for the 2007 budget after reviewing five proposals on Tuesday.

Hardest hit were the Sheriff’s Department and dispatch communications with $48,655 cut between them.

Budget review continued late Tuesday afternoon with more scheduled Wednesday.

Once commissioners make their recommendations, the county Budget Committee will hold meetings to review the requests, make its recommendations and take it to a public hearing prior to a vote. The panel’s budget would then go to commissioners to accept it or not. If the commission approves a different amount than the committee, the Budget Committee would need a two-thirds vote of the nine-member panel to override the commissioner’s decision.

Several members of the Budget Committee were in attendance to hear from department supervisors.

Commission Chairman Fred Hardy of New Sharon said he opposed most of the votes taken due to his concerns with a 3 percent increase for cost of living and other increases in benefits, including a 7.9 percent increase for employees covered under Maine State Retirement.

Though 3 percent cost of living increases were approved for the county Emergency Management Agency, treasurer and probate, commissioners trimmed amounts from personnel services in dispatch communications and the Sheriff’s Department.

A motion by Commissioner Gary McGrane of Jay to approve $354,000 as requested for dispatch communications personnel services failed in a 2-1 vote with Hardy and Commissioner Meldon Gilmore of Freeman Township opposed.

McGrane made another motion for $345,000 for that line that was approved unanimously. The panel approved $323,420 for dispatchers in that budget, down from a requested $324,000. They also approved $21,580 for part-time dispatchers, $8,420 less than requested.

Other cuts in that budget included $5,000 from a requested $25,000 for telephones, which includes cell phones for deputies, and $3,000 from a requested $10,000 for radio base.

The commissioners approved $384,000 for communications dispatch, down from the $411,140 proposed.

In the Sheriff’s Department account, commissioners unanimously reduced 1 percent from the proposed 3 percent increase from salaries to make them $51,656 for sheriff, $46,515 for chief deputy, $38,336 for lieutenant, $33,718 for office manager, and $28,316 for the secretary.

Commissioners also reduced the full-time deputy wage line from a requested $392,743 to $385,522 to reflect a 3 percent increase down from a proposed 6 percent increase that was requested. The 6 percent was to cover automatic wage step increases until a new contract is settled and any wage increases in the contract still under negotiation.

The overtime line for full-time deputies was left at $108,308, the same as last year. Commissioners also cut $13,337 from a requested $120,337 for capital overlay leaving a bottom line for the department at $998,262, a reduction of $22,015 from the requested $1.02 million.

The Emergency Management Agency’s request for $75,143 was reduced to $67,583. Director Tim Hardy said he has been averaging about 45 hours per week and asked to have his weekly hours increased to 40 from the 32.5, for which he is paid $31,827.

McGrane pointed out Hardy knew when he was hired that it was a 32.5-hour position.

Hardy agreed with him and said he just wanted to make commissioners aware of the hours needed to do his job.

Chairman Fred Hardy told the director, “You are doing a hell of a job.” But he added he was not sure how much more they could put on taxpayers.

“If I don’t get it,” Tim Hardy said, “I’m not going to shirk my duties and responsibilities.”

Commissioners voted to give Hardy a 3 percent increase rather than an increase in weekly hours.