AUBURN — The newly elected Androscoggin County Budget Committee is scheduled to begin its oversight of the county’s proposed $9.7 million budget Wednesday.
The 11-member committee will meet at 6 p.m. in the law library of the county building in downtown Auburn.
On Wednesday, the group will elect new officers and listen to comments on the proposed budget, created by county commissioners.
It includes a reduction in overall spending of about $85,000. It also forecasts a decline in revenue and an increase in the amount raised by taxes: $206,001. It represents a hike of 2.66 percent.
“There are some serious reductions in the budget,” said Randall Greenwood, chairman of the county commission. Among them are capital projects that would update systems in the aging county building. Greenwood said he could support some changes since a top-to-bottom analysis of the building is about to begin.
“I can’t see throwing Band-Aids on problems when we need major surgery,” Greenwood said.
The Budget Committee will have until the end of December to make changes to the spending package, according to state law. Then the commission will be asked to ratify the budget with a simple up-or-down vote.
The Budget Committee’s 11 members include: Michael Bowie of Lisbon, Philippe Moreau of Greene, Michael Gendron of Sabattus, Mark Samson of Auburn, Nancy Richard of Mechanic Falls, Emily Tuttle of Minot, Renee Bernier of Lewiston, Helen Poulin of Lewiston and Michael Marcotte of Lewiston. The group also includes two members of the Maine Legislature: Republican Rep. Michael Beaulieu of Auburn and Democratic Rep. Lawrence Sirois of Turner.
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