LIVERMORE FALLS — Residents will need to vote again on whether they would like the town to leave Androscoggin County to join Franklin County.

Voters approved the measure in a referendum in June, but it happened before the Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage approved the town vote. In July, the Legislature approved allowing the town to vote on the county change.

If it is approved by Livermore Falls voters on Nov. 5, it would move to voters in Androscoggin and Franklin counties, Town Manager Kristal Flagg told selectmen Monday.

This is the most complicated year to do this, she said.

Androscoggin County is still deciding what services it will charge towns for above and beyond the county tax, and Franklin County is still up in the air about its jail.

The state Board of Corrections is holding a final hearing on a request by Franklin County commissioners to change the Franklin County jail in Farmington back to a full-service jail at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Marquardt Building in Augusta. The board will make a decision following the hearing.

The jail, which was a full-service jail until July 1, 2009, is a 72-hour holding facility. If inmates do not make bail within 72 hours, jail transport officers have to take them to another jail in the state.

Leaving Androscoggin County to join Franklin County would save police time and money, she said. Police have to take those in custody to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn, which is a longer round-trip than to the Farmington jail, she said.

The town does pay Androscoggin County extra to dispatch for police and fire departments, she said.

The cost for emergency and police dispatching is $33,941.55 above the $160,074 in taxes Livermore Falls pays to Androscoggin County, she said.

The town has no debt to Androscoggin County, she said.

There is a lot to do before the vote in November, including getting information to the public on the pros and cons of changing counties, she said.

A public hearing on the issue will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, at the Town Office.

Also to be discussed during the hearing will be a third vote on a proposed $197,861 administration budget for the current year. It is $32,695 more than last year’s budget, due to the treasurer’s position moving to that budget from the elected officials budget. Voters a couple of years ago approved changing the treasurer’s position to an appointed office, rather than an elected one.

The proposed administration article, which also includes Flagg’s salary, was rejected in June in a referendum vote of 131-155. It was also rejected in an open-style town meeting in July by a 32-36 vote.

The town continues to run on the 2012-13 budget until voters approve an administration budget.

The article is included in a $2.25 million budget that is about $47,000 less than last year’s budget of approximately $2.3 million.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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