FARMINGTON — The Franklin County Budget Committee voted Thursday to cut county commissioners’ flex-benefit packages in half as of July 1. The panel focused its benefit cuts on part-time elected officials, which include the treasurer.

They made other cuts to reduce the overall proposed $5.35 million budget by $154,236. The proposed $5.2 million budget for 2012-13 now is $25,789 less than this year’s spending plan.

The committee’s proposal will go before commissioners at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, at their meeting room at the county courthouse. Commissioners would have to vote unanimously to send a proposed budget back to the Budget Committee. That panel would need a two-thirds majority to change its approved budget.

Commissioners are to get between $8,100 and $8,500 a year as a stipend in the next fiscal year and 70 percent of a full-time employee’s benefit package in flex pay. The latter can be used for health insurance benefits or retirement plans. The flex benefits were approved by commissioners years ago, County Clerk Julie Magoon has said. It amounts to $757 a month per commissioner.

The Budget Committee initially attempted to cut the total $29,124 in flex benefits from the budget. It failed in a 4-3-1 vote. Members David Archer of Chesterville, Cary Keep of Rangeley Plantation and Ryan Morgan opposed the vote. Chairman John Calloway abstained. He said the committee’s rules are that an abstention counts as a no vote, so the motion failed.

During discussion before the vote, member Terry Brann of Wilton said he thought the flex benefit amount was excessive and added about $10,000 to commissioners’ pay.

“I don’t think they should receive benefits, because they are elected officials,” said Brann, a selectman.

Calloway said he had a problem with changing the rules in the middle of the game.

“I don’t feel right about it,” he said. He suggested grandfathering commissioners to the next election. Commissioners Gary McGrane of Jay and Fred Hardy of New Sharon are seeking re-election Tuesday, June 12. Commissioner Clyde Barker of Strong is not up for re-election for two more years.

Keep of Rangeley Plantation said the committee can only vote on the proposed budget and not make rules that would affect other committees.

Committee member D. Scott Taylor of Wilton offered a new motion to reduce the commissioners flex-benefit package by 50 percent. He motioned to reduce the flex-benefit line to $14,562. It passed unanimously.

The committee also voted unanimously to cut part-time, elected Treasurer Mary Frank’s flex benefits in half.

Budget Committee members could not do the same with part-time elected Probate Judge Richard Morton. Magoon said there is a court ruling that you cannot reduce a probate judge’s benefits once that person is elected.

The committee also eliminated $24,000 to pave the courthouse parking lot.

“It looks like it could go a couple more years,” Taylor said.

They also voted 7-1, with Keep opposed, to reduce the Sheriff’s Department’s motor vehicle capital outlay line from $98,500 to $75,000. The money is used to buy new cruisers in a rotation system each year.

The committee also voted to cut the proposed $259,193 program grants by $17,056. Among the cuts in that budget were $10,000 from Tri-County Mental Health, $676 from Adult Basic Education, $5,000 from Western Maine Transportation and $1,380 to Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services.

They also voted 4-3, with Archer, Keep and Taylor opposed, to keep Western Maine Community Action’s county funding at $33,000.

dperry@sunjournal.com