FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Budget Committee approved a $5,041,269 county budget, representing a 2.8 percent increase over last year’s budget, during a three-hour public hearing Thursday night in the Franklin County Courthouse.

The budget will now go to the commissioners on Monday for their approval. If they reject the proposed budget, it would come back to the Budget Committee to have the final say, Committee Chair John Calloway said.

The proposal includes a 2 percent raise on July 1 for county employees and reinstated funds for programs including SeniorsPlus and Threshold to Maine and increases the previous recommendation for Western Maine Community Action.

After Registrar of Deeds, Susan Black, questioned the fairness of granting a 2 percent wage hike for the Emergency Management Agency and not other departments, committee members agreed that it should be for the same for everyone.

“We do for all or not. What’s fair for one is fair for all,” said Stephan Bunker, who moved to accept the EMA budget realizing it included more hours for the director and deputy director but not realizing it included the 2 percent raise.

The Budget Committee had previously recommended nothing be raised for SeniorsPlus due to a question of fairness of service provided south of Fairbanks versus north of Fairbanks, said Committee Chair John Calloway of Avon. The committee voted 6 to 3 to reinstate the requested $36,000 with the condition that they set up a voucher system with the Rangeley Meal Site and report back to Franklin County commissioners by Sept. 1.

The committee also approved $40,000 for Western Maine Community Action and $750 for Threshold of Maine.

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