SKOWHEGAN – The Somerset County commissioners Wednesday morning approved the preliminary budget for the county’s 84 unorganized townships.

Although some of the figures may be amended or adjusted in the next several weeks, Chairman Joseph Bowman said the approved amount is $90,000 higher than last year’s budget at $853,264.

Of that amount, approximately $629,000 will be raised through taxation.

On hand to oversee the budget review with the commissioners was Doreen L. Sheive, the state’s audit department fiscal administrator for unorganized territories.

Sheive questioned the commissioners on several spending intentions and said that she had not been able to look into the entire budget. “I might come back,” she told the board.

Sheive cautioned the commissioners on their proposed $15,500 share of repair work to the Kingsbury/Mayfield Dam. Bowman explained that the dam is actually in Kingsbury Township in Franklin County, but that its deterioration affects Mayfield camp owners in Somerset County. “I believe the bulk of the camps are in Mayfield,” Bowman said. “Lots of other county people also use that lake, besides just residents.”

But Sheive warned Bowman that the board may be setting a precedent. “There are 700 dams in the state of Maine,” she said. “Lots of companies are now trying to get rid of their dams and the financial impact on counties and municipalities could be humongous when you talk about upkeep.”

She reminded the board that “The dam may be in the UT [unorganized territory] but every taxpayer in the county pays for this increase.”

“I think [dam ownership and maintenance] is becoming a statewide problem, not just in Somerset County and not just in unorganized territories. In Penobscot County, Bangor Hydro is right now getting rid of two dams and people are trying to figure out how to take care of them. This will eventually have to be addressed by the Legislature,” she said.

Sheive recommended that the board take a look at what percentage of the pond and percentage of camps are actually in Somerset County, rather than just accepting half of the maintenance cost.

Sheive also questioned the county’s method of paying for ambulance services based on property valuation, not where the calls are actually being made from. “You should require per-call records,” she told the commissioners. “This would give you better information.”

Sheive also asked the commissioners what their intentions were for $100,000 set aside in a reserve account for a sand/salt shed, since such a facility is no longer required. Bowman said the county has not heard from the state on that issue but Sheive said “every other county in the state has heard.”

She also questioned a 25 percent increase built into the budget for the county’s road consultant, and suggested that the position be sent out to bid.

When Sheive began to question the commissioners on the status of the Rockwood Fire Station construction and completion, however, Bowman refused to answer her questions in public. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said, adding that he was planning to visit Rockwood Wednesday afternoon to discuss the station with Fire Chief Joseph Munster.

The UT accounts and their amounts are: roads and bridges, $156,716; snow removal, $169,029; dumps, $154,258; fire protection, $53,047; cemeteries, $6,500; ambulance services, $5,903; streetlights, $4,200; snowmobile trails, $16,650; polling places, $1,950; Rockwood Community Building, $6,001; program services, $6,000; and Humane Society Shelter, $1,000.

In addition, appropriations for capital reserve accounts are: Rockwood Fire Station, $15,000; Tomhegan Road construction, $72,000; Springlake Long Falls Road construction, $138,036; and Kingsbury/Mayfield Dam, $15,500.