FARMINGTON — A Franklin County budget panel voted Wednesday to send a proposed $7.7 million budget for 2022-23 to county commissioners.

It reflects an increase of $681,685.60 over the existing budget.

The spending plan represents about $5.35 million for county government and $2.34 million for the jail. The figures do not factor in anticipated revenues or use of undesignated funds.

Prior to approving the combined budget, the Budget Advisory Committee voted to add $30,000 in additional gas money to the Sheriff’s Office budget. The line now stands at $130,000. Commissioners approved the increase Tuesday at Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr.’s request because of rising prices.

The package does include $191,130 for outside agency program grants. Of that amount, $163,400 was added by the budget panel at the request of a local consortium. Commissioners have not approved those requests.

County Administrator Amy Bernard said $325,000 will be needed from the undesignated fund balance to keep the county government budget under the tax cap.

She told commissioners Tuesday that another $75,000 from the fund balance will be needed to keep the jail budget under the tax cap. The county government budget has a separate tax cap than the the jail.

There is about $2.2 million in the undesignated fund as of last year, Bernard said.

Commissioners will take up the panel’s budget at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in the upstairs courtroom of the county courthouse.

The commission will need to have a unanimous vote to make a change to an amount the Budget Advisory Committee has set. If a change is made, the budget will be sent back to the committee and a two-thirds vote, six out of nine members, is needed to override the commissioners’ change.

The budget committee set a tentative meeting for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the courthouse in case it is needed.

Supporting Sponsor for Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander and Rumford Falls Times.
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. franklinsavings.bank