AUBURN — The three-member Androscoggin County Commission presented parts of an unfinished plan Wednesday aimed at keeping emergency calls and dispatching at the county.

All that’s left to decide is who will pay and how much.

More than 20 leaders from across the county filled the Commission’s meeting room Wednesday to listen to an outline of the plan.

“We’re actually very, very close,” Commissioner Elaine Makas said of her trio. “I think it’s safe to say that we all agree that we would like, as much as possible, for this to stay a county function (with) all of the services we are providing.”

Currently, the county’s dispatch center answers land-line emergency calls for 12 of the county’s 14 towns, serving as a Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP. Calls from Lewiston and Auburn go to the cities’ own center.

The county center communicates with its deputies, police officers in Mechanic Falls, Sabattus and Livermore and with fire departments in seven small towns.

On Wednesday, Makas proposed continuing all those services. She planned to pay for it by charging fees for dispatching to municipal police and fire departments and by charging $2 per capita to every town to answer its emergency calls.

In part, the move is meant to ease the burden on Lewiston and Auburn taxpayers, who now pay for their own dispatch center and the majority of the costs at the county’s center.

However, it wouldn’t erase that burden, leaving thousands of dollars in county dispatch costs remaining on city bills in “residual” expenses, Makas said.

Her fellow commissioners are still trying to decide whether to break out such expenses or keep funding as it as, essentially giving PSAP services to all county towns except Lewiston and Auburn and adding the expense to the tax levy.

“The only issue on which we differ is whether the $2 per capita is going to be contributed by the towns that use our services,” said Makas, who represents Lewiston on the commission.

The news rankled some attendees.

Auburn Police Chief Phil Crowell argued that the entire cost of answering emergency calls should be born by the towns that use the service, one that can be contracted with other agencies in Maine.

“I still don’t understand why you believe it’s your responsibility,” Crowell told commissioners.

Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte, a former commissioner, said he had talked with Lewiston leaders immediately after the meeting. He said both cities have “lots of questions” and may draft a formal response in the coming days.

Lisbon Police Chief David Brooks complained that commissioners had veered away from their mission to set short- and long-term goals for dispatching.

“I think the commission has lost its focus on what its original path was,” Brooks said.

If towns decide to contract with another agency to answer emergency calls or dispatch their local police and fire departments, revenue would decline, he warned.

“The decision has been made,” Brooks said. “We know what’s going to happen. Where you’ve made your mistake is that you’re counting on revenue that you’re not guaranteed. And if you don’t get that revenue, everybody’s taxes are going to go up.”

Commission Chairman Randall Greenwood said he hopes the trio will have a complete proposal within one week. The issue is slated to be raised again at the next commission meeting on March 21 for a possible vote.

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