FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners will consider the county’s Budget Committee’s budget of $5.23 million when it meets next week. The panel’s spending package for 2011-12 is $18,464 less than what commissioners recommended.
The Budget Committee approved adding $15,000 for a fire alarm for the courthouse, and $20,000 for a referendum vote to build a new dispatch facility on county property and adjusting personnel costs to reflect 26-pay periods for 2011-12, Clerk Julie Magoon said Friday.
Commissioners had recommended a $5.25 million budget.
They will consider the Budget Committee’s proposal at 9 a.m. June 21 at their office at the courthouse. It will take a unanimous vote of the commission to reject the budget panel’s recommendation and send it back to that committee. It would then take a two-thirds vote by the Budget Committee to override the commissioners’ proposal.
The Budget Committee reduced amounts for program grants to Tri-County Mental Health. It decided on $20,000; commissioners recommended $30,000; the agency requested $35,000, according to information provided by Magoon.
The committee also reduced the contribution to Western Maine Community Action to $40,000. The agency requested $49,500 and commissioners recommended that amount.
The budget panel also trimmed $2,000 from the SeniorsPlus request of $36,000. Commissioners had recommended $36,000.
The commissioners’ recommended $5.25 million budget represented a $214,045 increase over the current budget, which includes $1.6 million for the jail.
Factoring in $580,600 in anticipated revenues, including $100,000 from the county’s undesignated fund, it would have left about $4.67 million for the towns to pay in county taxes.
The Budget Committee’s plan of $5.23 million is $195,581 more than the current budget. After revenues are factored in, it would leave about $4.65 million for taxpayers to contribute.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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