AUBURN — What began as a choice between a dedicated deputy patrolling Route 4 or an extra trial assistant in the overburdened District Attorney’s Office, the Androscoggin County Commission found a way Wednesday to fund both positions without raising taxes in the 2024 budget.
Commissioners approved the budget by a 6-0 vote.
While the overall budget is increasing by more than 10%, the assessments for each of the 14 municipalities will actually drop, Treasurer Clarice Proctor said. According to figures sent to her by the state this week, property valuations in the county jumped 21% from $10.9 billion to $13.2 billion.
Property valuations are used to calculate the tax rate.
Budget Committee Chairman Lisa Cesare, a selectman in Minot, presented the budget to commissioners. Needing a supermajority of 11 votes out of 14 members to make changes to the budget, Cesare could only offer suggestions because the committee never had more than 10 members at any budget session.
Linda Scott of Lewiston and Noel Hinkley and Angela Mitchell, both of Sabattus, never attended a meeting this year. One seat in Lewiston has been vacant for the past two years.
Much of the discussion Wednesday centered on the Route 4 patrol. Lisbon and Livermore Falls each sent letters to the commissioners asking them to vote against the $60,000 addition to the budget. Lisbon officials thought Turner, not the other towns, should bear the burden for the added patrol.
Lisbon Town Council Chairman Harry Moore added that the extra deputy assigned to Route 4 would have little impact on the high-speed fatal crashes on the road. He said a better option would be erecting cement jersey barriers along the centerline and guardrails along the sides of the road. That would prevent head-on crashes and keep cars from driving off the road.
Livermore Falls officials said they would see little benefit to the added patrols because the town has its own police department.
Commissioner Roland Poirier of Lewiston said he had traveled Route 4 for 34 years. He said accidents occur there 24 hours a day, but the dedicated patrol would only be available for eight hours. He wasn’t sure how effective it would be.
Questioned whether it could help limit fatalities and slow down traffic, Sheriff Eric Samson, who is also serving as the interim county administrator, admitted that evaluating the change will be difficult.
“You will never know the value of this,” Samson said. “There is no way to measure success.”
Commissioner Andrew Lewis of Auburn, a strong supporter of the patrol, said, “This is something we can do. My position has not changed on this.”
Budget Committee member Larry Pease of Lewiston said he has turned down jobs in the past if it required him to drive on Route 4.
“We’re looking at it the wrong way,” Pease said. “What is one life worth? If it is successful, it will pay for itself. I think it will be well worth it. I’m a strong advocate of doing something there.”
Initially believing that the dedicated patrol would fail, Samson presented commissioners with another option — use $40,000 of the money to fund a trial assistant in the DA’s Office.
District Attorney Neil McLean Jr. said his staff is buried in cases and in victim-advocate cases, which have spiked since the Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston that killed 18 people. The Androscoggin County District Attorney’s office has helped to staff the Community Resiliency Center at the former Peck building on Main Street in Lewiston, and also worked with victims at the Lewiston Armory on Central Avenue before the new center opened.
McLean said his office has also seen an increase in people invoking the Yellow Flag law. Through Wednesday of this week, McLean said his office has received four Yellow Flag requests in three days, each of which must be investigated by his office.
The problem was exacerbated before the shooting. McLean said his office has seen 600 more cases this year.
Once commissioners heard about the increase in property valuation, they came up with a plan to fund both positions, taking money out of the building account and replacing that with American Rescue Plan Act funding since that is one-time spending.
Proctor also said the audit, which is nearing completion, has more money in the undesignated fund balance than expected. About $150,000 of that will be used to offset taxes.
The board accepted all of the Budget Committee recommendations except one. Commissioners voted to restore $20,000 into their professional fees line, which includes attorney fees and other professional services costs, such as public relations.
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