FARMINGTON – Franklin County Budget Committee members have no jurisdiction over the unorganized territory budget, they were told Monday.

The $815,953 budget for townships was discussed in a public hearing Monday after approval of the county budget, and some committee members had questions about it.

Carey Keep of Rangeley Plantation asked commissioners why the town of Rangeley was denied $45,540 for services it provided to surrounding townships.

Gary McGrane said Tuesday that commissioners thought that the request was too high for the number of people the budget serves.

He gave the example of solid waste disposal. In the past two years, the town has received $19,167 for the service. This year it requested $17,129, and commissioners reduced it to $10,000. Using a formula based on an expected 3.24 pounds of waste per person per day and the population in nearby unorganized townships – approximately 41, according to McGrane – the cost of solid waste disposal for township residents is far below the budget request, he said.

McGrane said he thinks the budget process is very democratic, with lots of checks and balances, and leaves room for debate, but ultimately the unorganized township budget request to the state must come from commissioners.

“We act as selectmen (for the unorganized townships) and try to keep taxes down for the people who live there while still providing the services requested,” he said.

He said the commissioners will sign their final request for the unorganized territories at their next meeting Tuesday. It will then be sent to the state for evaluation. He wasn’t clear who gave the budget final approval, but said he had never heard of one being denied.

Though a county budget for $4,185,618 was approved by the committee Monday, that approval is simply another recommendation, according to McGrane. Commissioners have the final say and the opportunity to make changes at their Tuesday meeting when they will complete the 2005 county budget as well.