Two seek commissioner seat

PITTSFIELD — There is no lack of experience between the two candidates vying for the position of Somerset County commissioner in this year’s elections.

Joseph Bowman of Skowhegan, the incumbent commissioner, cites 16 years in the position as his primary asset for remaining on the board.

His experience extends to municipal government where he served 12 years as a Skowhegan policeman and also as a Skowhegan selectman before joining county government. He is employed by Nissen.

Challenger Dwight Dogherty has served 11 years as Pittsfield town manager, a period that caused him annually to scrutinize the effect of the county budget on his municipal planning.

He also served as assistant city manager of Auburn, town manager of Lisbon, deputy secretary of state on a federal program, town manager of Cumberland, and five years in private business.

The most pressing issue in county government is keeping the costs of operation down, Bowman said. He explained the lack of state funding has caused more and more costs to be passed down to the county and municipal levels.

He cited costs that have been incurred by the Sheriff’s Department as an example. The department previously took testing to the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory without charge. The state now charges for that service.

But while the state is charging for its services, it is not paying for the support of state prisoners in the county jail. Those costs have been assumed under the county budget in recent years without reimbursement.

County government would operate more efficiently under a charter, according to Dogherty. The change would allow for a professional administrator, and would relegate the county commissioners to the role of policymakers, he said.

His background taught him county government was obsolete, he said, but he doesn’t think it will be eliminated any time soon. With that in mind, he thinks it should be as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

With state costs being forced onto county and municipal government, he foresees a role for county government to fill in by coordinating services for smaller municipalities.

Coordinating shared access to personnel, such as code enforcement or certified assessing, or equipment with costs funneled through county government would allow municipalities to meet local obligations at reduced costs.

Bowman is not sure county government is ready to take on new responsibilities. The county already maintains its own buildings and numerous departments. In addition, it is taking on new responsibilities with new solid waste-disposal obligations. He cited the new landfill at Rockwood and The Forks as an example.

Dogherty and Bowman both focused on the county budget and its development during a candidates night last week in Pittsfield. As costs have risen at the county level, Bowman said, the budget process has become more time-consuming.

This year, the process was improved, he said, with more local participation through the new County Budget Committee.

Dogherty was among the county town managers who pushed for the creation of the budget committee, taking the final control of the county budget out of the Legislature.

Maintaining local control, Bowman said, is the reason to keep county government.

“When the state runs out of money, they put the burden back on the county and the county taxpayer,” Bowman said. “That has its pluses and its downfalls, but it still gives us more local control. We as local people can run government cheaper than the state. It always costs more when the state gets involved.”

Dogherty said his frustration with the county budget process and accounting “the way it’s always been done” is the primary reason he got involved.

“I’ve made my living developing budgets and watching every detail,” he said, pointing out he couldn’t identify true costs in the county budget until recent improvements created new accounts in line with their respective cost centers.