PARIS – The proposed $6.4 million Oxford County budget for 2008 went before a public hearing Tuesday night as county commissioners and department heads reviewed expenditures and revenues predicted for the next fiscal year.

The budget for the Emergency Management Agency showed a drop of nearly 70 percent, from $856,208 to $259,974. Scott Parker, director of the agency, said it was due to grants from the Department of Homeland Security being put in the agency’s budget, a practice that was revised for this year.

“There’s actually an increase in my budget, but because of the Homeland Security grants it looks like a decrease,” Parker said.

The EMA’s biggest increases come through wages and travel expenses. Parker said 50 percent of his budget is matched by federal funds.

The budget for the Regional Communications Center increased to $628,225 from last year’s $564,322. Center director Jim Miclon said part of the increase came from lease fees on communications towers.

Stephen Goldsmith, a Lovell selectman and chief of Fryeburg Rescue, said his coverage area is not adequately supported by the center and recommended putting $50,000 in a reserve account toward the eventual upgrade of the system.

“I can’t see the harm of putting away money,” he said.

Miclon said that while the dispatch system is not broken, it does experience problems in other areas of the county, not just the southwestern area. He said sometimes the problems are due to faulty equipment by municipal emergency services rather than the dispatch center.

The proposed budget for the Sheriff’s Office is up from $1,106,692 in 2007 to $1,212,647 in 2008. Costs include an expected increase in gas prices and one-third of the cost of a new telephone system to be shared with the dispatch center and jail.

The proposed jail budget rose from $1,213,551 in 2007 to $1,292,109. Capital expenditures increased to allocate funds to an improved video surveillance system and kitchen upgrades.

Selectman David Knapp of Fryeburg questioned an increase in money to the Oxford County Regional Airport.

Commissioner David Duguay of Byron said the increase from $26,000 to $33,000 was due to work on the airport’s fuel system.

Scott Cole, town manager for Bethel, requested $10,000 from the county for the Bethel Regional Airport. He said the “entire county tax base is being encumbered” with support of the Oxford airport.

Commissioner Steven Merrill of Norway said he was not opposed to funding the Fryeburg and Bethel airports, though he would not support a level comparable to that for Oxford. He said the Budget Committee has usually opted against giving the two airports any funding.

Proposed expenditures for county departments amount to roughly $6.4 million and come in about $40,000 less than last year’s budget. However, estimated revenues have also dropped from $1.9 million to $1.85 million.