County budget up 1.67 percent

Commissioners will vote on expenditures Dec. 16

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The proposed 2015 Piscataquis County budget of $4.09 million is up 1.67 percent from last year, but the tax commitment will be 3.74 percent higher.
    The reason is that “revenues are down a bit and the county’s state valuation has declined for four straight years,” according to Interim County Manager Tom Lizotte.

    The unorganized territory’s share of the tax assessment is $1.09 million, up 2.88 percent.
    There were few surprises in the budget since commissioners have been debating the line items for the past several months.
    A final vote will be taken on the budget on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
    Union employees in the sheriff’s department will get a 2 percent wage increase as negotiated in their contract while the three top administrators will get a 2.25 percent salary hike. Commissioners also granted a 2.25 percent pay increase for all other non-union employees except five part-time elected positions paid by stipend: the three commissioners, county treasurer and judge of probate.
    Lizotte has recommended that the hours for his position be reduced and the salary decreased from $57,000 to $50,000 annually. The commissioners have also recommended eliminating the $10,000 administrative account from the unorganized territory budget, which had been paid over the past two years to the county manager for “providing UT services.”
    The county manager’s salary account was overdrawn this year due to a separation agreement negotiated with Marilyn Tourtelotte on Oct. 15 that included six month’s wages and benefits.
    Among major capital expenses are $15,000 for shared information technology services and $40,000 to replace the aging telephone system in county offices. Former Deputy Sgt. Tom Harvey doubled as the unofficial county IT director for several years until he retired on July 19. So Piscataquis County will now share tech support services with Penobscot County.
    The County Budget Advisory Committee has recommended that the sheriff’s department purchase four new cruisers next year by using capital reserve funds from the current budget for two vehicles, and $35,000 in capital reserve funds from the 2015 budget plus $30,000 from surplus for two more.
    They also recommended that a new prisoner transport vehicle be purchased through a capital reserve fund set up for that purpose. The current vehicle, a Dodge Caravan with 85,000 miles on it, will be used as the chief deputy’s vehicle.
    There are only three small increases in program grants, according to Lizotte. The Cooperative Extension Service is asking for $19,500 next year, up from $18,000; the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce is requesting $2,500, up from $2,000; and Pine Tree Hospice’s request is up from $1,500 to $1,800.
    The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council will receive $105,000, the same as this year; and the Piscataquis County Soil and Conservation District’s request was also the same as the current year: $12,500.
    The UT expenses are up 4.63 percent, but $225,000 from surplus will be used to reduce the tax assessment.
    Commissioners have agreed, after receiving a petition from Orneville Township residents, to plow an additional two miles of County Road to improve access for property owners on Boyd Lake. An additional $10,000 has been included in the UT summer roads account and $12,000 has been added to the winter plowing account.
    The commissioners have also scaled back the paving account from the initial proposal of $200,000 to $125,000 for next year.