About 40 people attended the public hearing Monday, one of the largest turnouts ever.
FARMINGTON – The Franklin County Budget Committee decided this week that charity begins with the county.
The nine-member panel approved a $3.8 million budget that includes $11,335 for the Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services and $36,000 for SeniorsPlus. The agencies previously went to the county’s 17 towns and four unorganized territories for money but this year appealed to the county alone.
There are eight other social service agencies as well that the committee voted to fund again in 2004.
The committee approved a proposed budget of $3,868,396, which is about 9 percent more than this year’s. Rising health insurance costs and the second phase of scheduled pay raises were cited as reasons for much of the increase.
About 40 people attended the public hearing Monday, one of the largest turnouts ever. Many who filled the wooden courthouse benches represented area social service agencies seeking county funding, or those protesting the move.
The committee dashed through the major department budgets – $859,107 for the Sheriff’s Department budget and $884,661 for support of prisoners – and approved them with barely a second glance.
When it came to review requests from social service agencies, the hearing slowed.
For two hours, committee members quibbled over how much money agencies should get.
John Calloway, a selectmen from Avon, and Ruth Marden, Jay’s town manager, spoke adamantly against county funding. The two argued for local control of spending.
“It has nothing to do with the value of these organizations, it has to do with the principle,” explained Calloway. “With this system, instead of it being a request, it’s a demand.”
He said democracy works best at the lowest level, and if decisions continue to be stripped away from towns soon there will be no reason for an annual town meeting.
Jay pays about 30 percent of the county budget, and Marden said the town would pay a bit more to SAVES and SeniorsPlus under the new arrangement, but cost was beside the point.
“We still want our home rule,” Marden said.
Doug Rawlings of Chesterville, who sits on the board for SAVES, urged people to “think of Franklin County as our home” and not just the individual towns.
His suggestion was heeded as the committee voted 6-3 to approve the money for SeniorsPlus and 6-3 for SAVES.
Budget Committee member Bob Luce, chairman of the Carrabassett Valley’s selectmen, Budget Committee Chairman Perry Ellsworth, who chairs Strong’s selectmen, and Bill Harlow, chairman of Jay’s selectmen, voted against both measures.
Though Ellsworth said he was in favor of county funding, other Strong selectmen were not, and he wanted to represent the board and his constituents
Janine Winn, executive director of SAVES, said Tuesday she hadn’t expected the committee to approve the money.
“We are very pleased. Now, we only have to go through this once instead of 21 times,” she said.
The committee’s budget recommendation will go back to county commissioners Dec. 16 for review. The commissioners initially reviewed requests from each department and agency and gave its recommendations to the Budget Committee.
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