AUBURN — Stuck with a budget that left everyone discouraged and disheartened, a reluctant Androscoggin County Budget Committee approved the 2017 spending plan Wednesday night.

After spending a month reviewing the budget, the committee still felt the county is spending too much money, and that the anticipated tax hike is too high. A line-by-line review revealed few places for the committee to cut.

“This is not the budget anyone of us wanted,” said Michael Lachance of Lewiston, chairman of the Budget Committee. “With the jail and state funding, there is little we can do.”

If ratified as is by county commissioners, county taxes will increase 6.44 percent, the biggest jump in several years. Last year’s tax rate was 2.38 percent.

“Increases of 6 to 7 percent are not sustainable,” committee member Andrew Titus of Auburn said. “We can’t have that increase every year.”

“We can’t keep on doing this,” Lachance added.

The Androscoggin County Commission had proposed a budget with a 7.11 percent jump in taxes.

Budget Committee members said they felt “handcuffed” by the lack of adequate state funding for the Androscoggin County Jail. 

“It’s not a realistic (jail) budget,” said committee member Guy Desjardins of Sabattus, who is the former Androscoggin County sheriff.

County Administrator Larry Post estimated that the jail is underfunded by nearly $300,000. The current jail budget cut funding for all capital improvement projects and will leave one position vacant.

Because the state receives some funding from the state, the county must balance the jail budget with a maximum increase of 3 percent.

The Budget Committee quickly discovered last month that the proposed balanced jail budget would not balance when equally frustrated commissioners submitted a budget with unrealistic jail revenue.

Commissioners and the Budget Committee have pledged to work together to help solve the crisis by seeking more state funds.

“Our legislators need to be here to see these real numbers,” said Greene selectman and budget committee member Anthony Reny.

“Our citizens have to get more active with their officials in Augusta,” Reny added. “They’ve handcuffed us with the jail funding.”

Commissioners are scheduled to ratify the budget at their next meeting Nov. 16.

County Commission

Meeting before the Budget Committee, commissioners approved a tax-anticipation note that would allow borrowing of up to $5.5 million at 0.99 percent interest.

Also, realizing her $250 request was too low at the last meeting, Commissioner Elaine Makas was given $750 to give county employees a party to celebrate receiving more than $9,000 for their successful safety record during the past year.

Commissioners also met in executive session for approximately 90 minutes.

[email protected]