AUBURN — By purchasing quality old furniture from a former church at rock-bottom prices and scrounging up a few other unused pieces in the courthouse, David Cote and his staff have saved Androscoggin County taxpayers at least $16,700 in this year’s budget.

Cote, the county’s facilities director, gave Androscoggin County commissioners a tour of the new probate courtroom on Wednesday. Impressed by the workmanship and the room’s overall appearance, commissioners unanimously agreed to reject all bids for new courtroom furniture for at least a year.

“The probate courtroom looks fantastic,” Chairman Ronald Chicoine said. “Certainly, it will last this year.”

Commissioners were poised last month to spend at least $16,700 they thought was budgeted to furnish the new Probate Court. The low bid came in at about $17,400.

However, County Administrator Larry Post and Treasurer Robert Poulin could not locate the funding in the budget. While commissioners Elaine Makas and Randall Greenwood both recall setting aside that money in late 2014, Post’s exhaustive search found no record of it in the minutes.

So instead of deciding whether they wanted to spend the extra $700 for furniture, commissioners were facing the daunting task of finding the full amount somewhere in the budget.

The tour of the new facility made that decision moot.

Cote’s team filled the room with two church pews and a large office table that Cote said he obtained from the former St. Joseph’s Church in Lewiston. The table serves as Probate Judge Michael Dubois’ bench. Facing it are two smaller tables with two chairs each. In the back of the room are the two pews.

They also made several soundproof boxes, which adorn the walls.

The creative fix gives commissioners a one-year reprieve from an expensive overhaul of the courtroom.

“It was designed to be temporary,” Cote said.

Using terms like “fabulous” and “fantastic,” commissioners quickly agreed to reject the furniture bid and use the existing furnishings for at least this year.

“I’m guessing that we’re going to have to wait until next year’s budget when we can allocate it from the capital improvement budget and set money aside,” Post said.

[email protected]