FARMINGTON — Members of the Franklin County budget committee elected a chairperson Tuesday, chose length of terms and set the next two meetings to review a proposed $11.6 million spending plan.

The new Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee meets for the first time Tuesday at the county courthouse in Farmington. They reelected Tiffany Maiuri of Wilton, standing, as the chairperson. Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal

The panel reelected Tiffany Maiuri of Wilton as chairperson of the Budget Advisory Committee. The committee is made up of 11 selectmen from the county.

Meetings will be Wednesdays, April 23 and 30, at 4:30 p.m. upstairs at the county courthouse at 140 Main St.

Of the $11.6 million, $8.1 million is for county government operations and $3.5 million for the jail. After factoring in estimated revenues, the budget is $10.2 million, an increase of $1.2 million from the current budget.

Committee members also chose the terms they would serve. A 2023 state law created staggered terms for budget committee members. There was so-called “unallocated language” in the law that went away after the first election of committee members was done in March, according to Commissioner Thomas Saviello of Wilton, a former state legislator.

The length of terms set out in the law specifies that in District 1 there is a one-year term and a two-year term in addition to a one-year term for a rotating member, which will move on to District 2 next year.

For District 1 Mike Wells of Wilton chose to be the one-year rotating member while Dean Collins of Temple chose a one-year term and Maiuri, a two-year term.

In District 2, Dennis O’Neil of Farmington selected a one-year term and Richard Morton, also of Farmington, chose a two-year term.

For District 3, Rupert Pratt of Strong selected the two-year term and Janet White of Phillips selected the three-year term.

District 4 member Jay Reynolds of Carrabassett Valley chose a two-year term and Morgan Dunham of Kingfield chose a three-year term.

District 5 member Earl Martin of Chesterville chose a one-year term and Lee Ann Dalessandro of Jay chose a three-year term.

The new law putting five commissioners in place Jan. 1 also staggered the terms.

Maiuri went over the state law on the county’s budget process.  “The advisory committee shall review the itemized estimated budget prepared by the county commissioners, together with any supplementary material prepared by the head of each county department or provided by any independent board or institution or another governmental agency.”

The advisory committee will prepare a proposed budget and may increase, decrease or alter the estimated budget as long as the committee enters into its minutes an explanation for any suggested change and the total estimated revenues, together with the amount of county tax to be levied, equal the total estimated expenditures.

The committee will set a public hearing on the budget and then make a determination on whether to vote on the budget after the hearing or at another meeting, and the final budget will be sent to commissioners, Maiuri said.

Commissioners may not further increase, decrease, alter or revise the budget adopted by the advisory committee except by a three-fifths vote of the five commissioners. If the adopted budget is changed by the county commissioners, the advisory committee may reject that change by a two-thirds vote of its 11-members. Those actions are final.

Morton, a former county judge of probate for 35 years, said that when the budget committee sets the budget, commissioners do not have to spend the money the way the committee intended but need to stay within the amount the committee set.

Commissioners have the sole authority over spending money and setting personnel wages and benefits, according to state law.