Commissioners approve county budget on 2-1 vote

Lizotte will continue as interim county manager

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis County Commissioners approved the new county and unorganized territories budget last week by a 2-1 vote but agreed unanimously to retain interim County Manager Tom Lizotte through the next fiscal year.
    The 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 $1.09 million UT budget is up 2.88 percent.

    These figures didn’t please Commissioner Fred Trask of Milo. “The county budget is up $67,000 over last year, the assessment to the towns is up by $114,000 — which is 3.46 percent — and our revenue is down by $47,000,” Trask said. “The UT budget is going up by $30,000; (county) taxes in Dover-Foxcroft are going to go up by $18,000.”
    Trask said that one way he would have preferred to tighten the budget was to purchase four sheriff’s department cruisers next year instead of five.
    The sheriff’s department requested the five new vehicles because three of the patrol vehicles have more than 130,000 miles on them. A fourth one — assigned to Investigator Guy Dow — has 105,000 miles on it; and the sheriff’s 2003 Chevy Trailblazer has 103,000.
    But James Annis, chairman of the commissioners, noted that the variance in state valuations “can change the whole scenario of our budget.” Lizotte agreed. “The valuation will largely shift in time,” he said. “Greenville is a good example. Their state valuation has gone down by $52 million during the last few years. So when that happens, the burden shifts to other towns to make up the difference.”
    Greenville and Lake View Plantation are the only two towns that will see a decrease in county taxes this year while Guilford ($10,034), Beaver Cove ($8,794), Bowerbank ($7,532) and Parkman ($6,190) are among those facing hikes.
Commissioner Eric Ward said that the new budget calls for a significant increase on road repairs and maintenance “which we haven’t had for the past few years. So it all adds up.”
    County employees will also get pay increases next year. Union employees in the sheriff’s department will get a 2 percent wage increase while the three top administrators will get a 2.25 percent salary hike.
    The new budget also includes 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.
    Trask later told the Observer that he was also not pleased with the financial settlement with former County Manager Marilyn Tourtelotte who left her position in October.
    “With the estimated cost (of the settlement) at almost $50,000, this was not the time to take money from surplus to buy five new vehicles,” Trask said. “I think we should have been a little more conservative in county spending this year.”
    Following an executive session, which also included incoming County Commissioner James White of Guilford, commissioners agreed to continue Lizotte’s employment as interim county manager “into the 2015 fiscal year” at an annual salary of $50,000 plus benefits. Lizotte did not request a contract.
    Lizotte served on the county commissioners from 2003-12 following a six-year stint on the Dover-Foxcroft Board of Selectmen. He currently serves on the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, the Foxcroft Academy Board of Trustees and the executive committee of the Thompson Free Library in Dover-Foxcroft and is active in many other community organizations.