Piscataquis County adopts 2005 budgets

DOVER-FOXCROFT – A $2.9 million spending plan for Piscataquis County in 2005 was approved Tuesday by Piscataquis County commissioners.

Commissioners Eben DeWitt, Tom Lizotte and Woodrouffe “Tony” Bartley, during their last meeting of the year, also adopted a 2005 budget of approximately $952,000 for the unorganized territories and held an executive session to review the performance of County Manager Michael Henderson, who assumed the position this fall.

The county budget reflects about a 4.5 percent increase in expenditures and an 18 percent increase in assessments to the organized towns and unorganized territories. The latter increase is high because there is not enough surplus left over in 2004 to reduce the 2005 tax commitment.

The budget adoptions came Tuesday after Henderson noted a few revisions. He explained that $4,800 was eliminated from the county treasurer’s account to reflect the work that he will be picking up as county manager. The commissioners are gradually shifting the treasurer’s work from a private outside firm back to the county office.

To address concerns from Greenville officials, who say that town is paying a large percentage of the costs of county government yet receives little in the way of services, the commissioners agreed to add $2,181 to the county budget toward capital improvements at Greenville Municipal Airport.

Henderson told Greenville officials in a letter that similar amounts will be included in the 2006 and 2007 budgets as well. County officials do recognize the importance of the airport to the county, he said Tuesday.

Although health insurance premiums were expected to increase by 15 percent, the actual increase was 10.3 percent, according to Henderson. He said the reduction was not included in the budget, so the approximately $16,000 in savings will lapse to surplus.

The only change made to the unorganized territory budget from its presentation to the county’s budget advisory committee was the addition of $8,400 for Appalachian Trail improvements, according to Henderson.

This amount will be covered by the $17,886 received in 2004 from the federal government in lieu of taxes for the Appalachian Trail. The remainder of the federal funds is placed in the General Fund to help cover other costs in the unorganized territory.

As for Henderson, the commissioners agreed in public session that he had fulfilled their expectations during his probationary period, and they welcomed him as the full-time manager. His salary remains at $47,500 a year.