PARIS — Two county commissioners who provided Oxford County with a combined 50 years of leadership, guidance and service attended their final meeting Tuesday morning.

Steven Merrill of Norway, who was first elected in 1994, is retiring after 30 years of public service for the county, while Board Chairman David Duguay of Byron is stepping down after 20 years as a commissioner.

During Tuesday’s meeting, both men received commendations from the Maine Legislature for their many years of service in Oxford County.

Duguay said he has full confidence in their replacements on the three-member board — Sawin Millett of Waterford and Lisa Keim of Dixfield. Both Millett and Keim are veteran legislators at the State House in Augusta, who are both making the switch to county government.

When the new term begins in January, the two newcomers will join Timothy Turner of Buckfield, who has also served as a county commissioner for approximately 20 years.

In a written statement, Merrill called his time in county government “a wonderful experience,” adding that “it has been an honor and a privilege to have served the citizens of Oxford County for the past three decades.”

OTHER BUSINESS

Commissioners enacted the 2025 county budget at $15.1 million and approved a 1% overlay for a 40.6% change in the tax levy from 2024.

The board also discussed a three-page task list for County Administrator Zane Loper, who was hired in August. The listed tasks, or road map, include everything from budgeting, union negotiations, jail expansion and work with the unorganized territories. The list provides residents and county employees a list of tasks for the upcoming year.

“People have no idea what happens behind these walls,” Loper said.

In a related move, county officials are also working on a strategic plan for the county, including the establishment of a committee. Loper said the county has some large capital projects on the horizon and said a “committee could better plan the projects than I can do alone.”

Commissioners authorized the purchase of a truck for the unorganized territories for $60,000. Funding would be shared by the county budget and the unorganized territories budget.

Also approved by the board was the purchase of four Chevy Tahoes from Quirk Auto Group in Augusta for the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. The police cruisers will have a maximum cost of $60,000 apiece.

With the state closing its government offices on Dec. 24, the county agreed to also close county offices, except the sheriff’s department and the jail on Christmas Eve.

Jail Administrator Maj. Dana Dillingham said he expected the county jail to reopen by Friday. On that day the county will begin to keep its own inmates and start bringing back some who are being housed at other county jails.

Overcrowding has been an issue at the jail. Rated for 47 inmates, Oxford County Jail currently has 91 inmates, more than double the amount the jail held before renovations began earlier this year. Officials predicted the number to reach 100 by the first of the year.

Duguay described the issue as a “perfect storm.”

Commissioners approved the hiring of Joseph Correia as a part-time deputy, while Bryce Walker went from part-time to full-time deputy. The board also agreed to hire Kira Sloan and Michael Twitchell as dispatchers for the Oxford County Regional Communication Center.

The county now has three openings in the dispatch center, down from seven this past summer.