JAY – Selectmen unanimously voted Monday that they do not support Franklin County continuing to give money to nonprofit and social-service agencies for fiscal 2009. They would rather Jay residents make those decisions so they don’t subsidize other communities who benefit from the services.

Jay pays the most county taxes of any town because its property value is higher.

The board took the action after receiving a survey from county Clerk Julie Magoon on behalf of county commissioners and Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee asking if selectmen supported the county continuing to fund the agencies.

Surveys were sent to each town.

To qualify for funding, the county requires the agency to: serve all of Franklin County; spend all the money in the county; and not seek money from the towns and townships.

The county budgeted $270,837 this year to cover support for: Children’s Task Force, $10,000; Adult Basic Education, $21,877; Tri-County Mental Health, $33,000; Western Maine Transportation, $20,000; Community Action Program, $33,000; Threshold to Maine, $750; Greater Franklin Development Corp., $60,000; SeniorsPlus, $36,000; Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services, $11,380; Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, $20,130; Soil & Water, $21,000 and Franklin County Firemen’s Association, $3,700.

The agencies used to come to each town and ask for them to pay a portion for programs, Marden said.

In the past, Jay selectmen were not in favor of the county funding those agencies, Marden said. When that happens, she said, Jay pays a disproportionate share of support because it pays the most county taxes.

Board Vice Chairman Warren Bryant said he would rather have voters make the decisions on funding the agencies.

In other business Monday, selectmen approved a special entertainment permit for Spruce Mountain Ski to host Spruce Mountain Musical Festival from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, at the ski slope.

The board also voted to pay Bruce A. Manzer Inc., an Anson paving company, $3,900 more than his contract price due to escalating costs of asphalt. The projects on Davis Road, Jewell, Knapp and Marcello streets were either done or will be completed.

Selectmen also decided to keep the $300,000 or so allotted for road improvements and to pave Keep Road and finish up Claybrook Road in the bank and wait until September to see if they want to revisit the issue if asphalt prices decrease.

Highway foreman John Johnson also reported that about 725 feet of Davenport Road was washed out and he estimated it would cost $16,000 to $17,000 to fix it.

In another matter, transfer station and solid waste coordinator Bob Sanders recommended the town not buy a wind turbine now to try to cut electricity cost. The payback for a $15,000 unit is 7.8 years and the warranty runs out in five years, he said.

“I’m not giving up on it completely,” he said.

When newer more efficient models come out in two to three years, he said, he’ll look at it again.