By Kerri Pepoy,Staff Writer

PARIS – Oxford County commissioners on Tuesday tentatively earmarked 2005 undesignated surplus funds toward tax relief in 2007 after Commissioner Jeffrey R. Fagan said taxpayers should get some money back in their pockets.

The commissioners have already earmarked $100,000 from the 2005 undesignated surplus fund toward tax relief in 2006. On Tuesday at their regular meeting, they tentatively appropriated another $100,000 from the same fund toward tax relief the following year with the condition that the money can be redesignated elsewhere if county finances warrant it.

Fagan, a Republican, made a motion to tentatively earmark the money for 2007 tax relief; Commissioners Steven Merrill and David Duguay voted in favor of the motion. “I would just like to compliment that idea,” Duguay said.

Fagan said he preferred to earmark the money now before spending requests begin to cut into it. “If the money is sitting there, we’re going to have spending requests,” he said. “If we’ve been fortunate enough to not spend the taxpayers’ money, I think we should give the money to the taxpayers.”

“When people get their tax bills, every piece adds in,” he said. “I’d like to see us be more creative in the county.”

The 2005 undesignated surplus fund totaled $628,713. Commissioners appropriated $250,000 to a capital reserve account for buildings and equipment; $10,000 for renovations to Oxford County Jail; $10,000 for general maintenance to Oxford County Regional Airport; and $10,000 to a capital reserve account for employee expenses such as long-term disability payments.

Following the meeting, Fagan, who was sworn in last December as a new commissioner, said the incomes of Mainers have not kept pace with spending at the state level, and he wants to look for ways to reduce the tax burden.

“I look at our state and the budget has gone from $1 billion to $5 billion in a short period of time. I don’t know anyone whose income has gone up 500 percent,” he said. “I believe in a platform where we have to start from the bottom up and say, what do we really need? I continue to believe the money (taxpayers) are giving are their dollars, not my dollars.”

In other business, commissioners said they plan to attend an upcoming meeting of the Oxford Board of Selectmen to discuss ownership issues surrounding the county airport in that town. A date has not yet been scheduled.

The county currently owns the airport but commissioners have said in recent months that perhaps the town should take it over. Selectmen have said they are willing to discuss the issue with the commissioners.