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Oxford County commissioners finalized a $20.2 million budget for 2026 on Tuesday, an amount that is $1.5 million more than for 2025.

The tax rate will not be set until the new property valuation numbers from the state are released in January, county Administrator Zane Loper wrote in an email.

The proposed spending plan includes nearly $14.8 million for county government and $5.4 million for the jail in Paris. After factoring revenues, the county government budget stands at $10.5 million and the jail at nearly $4.3 million.

The overall tax commitment for 2026 is $14.9 million, which includes $147,951 for a 1% layover in case spending goes over budget, according to Loper’s information. It is 2.1% less than this fiscal year, which ends Dec. 31..

“By statute the commissioners can add up to a 2% overlay to the budget for a safety net,” Loper wrote.

Revenue is expected to be significantly more next year due to the increase in the county’s state funding allocation, county Finance Director Lindsay Kay said previously.

Projected revenue for county government is $4.4 million, or $1.1 million more than this year. For the jail, the estimated amount is $1.2 million, an increase of $725,182 over this year.

Donna M. Perry is a general assignment reporter who has lived in Livermore Falls for 30 years and has worked for the Sun Journal for 20 years. Before that she was a correspondent for the Livermore Falls...

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