FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted 4-1 Thursday to restore $30,146 to the budget for their flex benefits and other items, sending a nearly $11.6 million budget back to the Budget Advisory Committee.

After factoring in revenues, taxpayers will be responsible for nearly$10.2 million, including about $3 million for the jail. The budget would mean a property tax of $1.39 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The Budget Advisory Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to take up the commissioners’ changes at the Emergency Operations Center at 120 County Way in Farmington.

The difference between the commissioners’ proposal and the committee’s is $32,305. It will take eight of the 11 Budget Advisory Committee members to attend and vote to override the changes. The final budget number will be decided by the committee, according to state statute.

The commissioners’ salary was set at $12,000 in 2016. The prior three commissioners opted not to take flex benefits — $6,845 each that could be used toward health insurance. However, the personnel policy was not changed to eliminate benefits for part-time elected officials. In 2022, county Administrator Amy Bernard picked up on it and during the next two years, commissioners received the benefits.

The total amount of salary and benefits that each of the five new commissioners would make in 2025-26 is $18,845, which combined equals $94,225. This is the first year there have been five commissioners.

The budget committee removed $30,146 for the commissioners flex benefits from the budget in May.

Chairman Bob Carlton of Freeman Township said he was offended by remarks at the budget committee level stating that commissioners only work four hours a month, which is two meetings. That is not true, he said. There are many aspects of the job, including committee meetings, attendance at certain functions, negotiations, and keeping residents up to date on what is going on in the five commission districts, he added.

Commissioner Tom Saviello of Wilton said he was opposed to commissioners getting flex benefits.

The Budget Advisory Committee chairperson did a survey of all salaries, wages and benefits this year for each of the 16 counties. Franklin County commissioners get the most compensation, he said.

Commission Vice Chairman Tom Skolfield of Weld said the commissioners’ job is much more complicated than he anticipated.

“Franklin County is a dynamic and growing county,” Skolfield said.

People don’t understand what commissioners do because they have not shed light on it, he said.

Commissioners also moved some money around to eliminate $9,000 for preservation of documents and only have one book bound in 2025-26 rather than two, and do the second one next year, saving $21,146, according to county Administrator Amy Bernard.

Commissioners restored $6,000 to the Treasurer’s Department budget for the part-time wages that the budget committee removed. This position is split between commissioners and the treasurer’s departments.

Commissioners plan to split the rest of the salary for the 14-hour position a week between the unorganized territory budget and the county’s tax-increment financing agreement funds based on the number of invoices paid by each budget.

“This position does all the data entry of invoices into the accounting software and she also does a second review of invoices sent in by departments,” Bernard said. The position also reconciles the statements from vendors, verifies purchases and codes them accordingly, she said.

Another change the commissioners voted on is to add $700 back to the Information Technology budget for recording of the Sandy River Watershed forums that are being held around the county this month.

Commissioner Fenwick Fowler said not everybody will be able to attend the 7 a.m. forums and this would allow people affected by the flooding of the river know what is going on.