PARIS — The 2010 Oxford County budget got its first public hearing Tuesday night.

The budget predicts $5,894,851 in expenditures, along with a $1,228,757 cap reserved for the operation of the Oxford County Jail. It also projects $2,225,367 in revenues, with the remaining $4,898,241 to be raised by taxation. The amount to be raised by taxes represents an 8.75 percent increase over last year’s budget.

Sheriff Wayne Gallant said the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office is in need of seven new cruisers after vehicles were cut from the department’s budget over the past few years. The department is asking that $120,000 of a total request of $1,503,964 be used to buy five cruisers.

“They have not opened up lease programs for police vehicles yet,” said Gallant. “We’re really hoping they do.”

Gallant said that if a lease program becomes available, he should be able to put $68,000 of this year’s budget toward the purchase of eight cruisers.

Jim Miclon, director of the Oxford County Regional Communications Center, said only $20,000 of a $289,623 grant budgeted for this year has been used. Miclon said the remainder of the funds will be used before a 2010 deadline to improve emergency communications in the southern portion of the county.

The budget also projects that the county will qualify for a $234,800 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Commissioners have said they intend to replace the oil-burning boiler at the courthouse with a wood pellet system.

Scott Parker, director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency, said he will add a new position to his department to conduct outreach activities with schools in the county. Parker said the position will be entirely funded through the Department of Homeland Security.

The Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District has requested $38,700, of which $10,000 would go toward maintenance of two dams on Colton Brook and McDonough Brook in Stow. A representative from the district said neither the town nor the White Mountain National Forest claims ownership of the dams, and the money will be used for debris removal and erosion control. Other residents at the meeting said there are several dams in need of repair in the county; such an appropriation would be selective funding.

The Western Maine Economic Development Council has requested $115,000 to assist with operational costs. Linda Walbridge, director of the council, said the organization assists with economic development projects throughout the county and will need other sources of revenue after initial funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and a Community Service Block Grant are no longer available.

The commissioners and a budget committee made up of elected town representatives will finalize the county budget before the end of the year. A work session is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on Nov. 17 at the commissioners’ meeting room.

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Oxford County Commissioners, from left, Caldwell Jackson of Oxford, David Duguay of Bryon and Steven Merrill of Norway listen to comments during the county budget hearing Tuesday night at their offices in Paris.