LIVERMORE FALLS – The town is undertaking a study to determine what the costs and benefits would be if it left Androscoggin County and became part of Franklin County.

Voters on Nov. 2 overwhelmingly gave their approval to a nonbinding ballot question asking if they wanted the town to study the possibility of changing counties. The effort is getting an assist in the Legislature, where Rep. Janet Mills, D-Farmington, has sponsored a bill that allows the initiative to move forward on the state level.

Town Manager Alan Gove said Livermore Falls, a town of about 3,300 residents in the northern end of Androscoggin County, is about 25 miles from the county seat of Auburn. But it is just 12 miles from the Franklin County seat of Farmington.

The study will examine law enforcement, government, health care, corrections, education, ambulance service and other issues, he said. It should be completed in time for the annual town meeting in June.

“We find no fault with Androscoggin County,” Gove said. “But we find that our geographic and economic patterns are closer to Franklin County than to Androscoggin County.”

Androscoggin County Commission Chairman Elmer Berry said Livermore Falls paid just over 2 percent of the county budget in 2004. That amount, he said, would have to be picked up by the other 13 towns in the county if Livermore Falls went to Franklin County.

He said he would anticipate a number of problems if the town switched counties.

“I just don’t see the advantages for Livermore Falls,” he said. “I think when the research is done, there will be more disadvantages than advantages.”

Towns must file a bill with the Legislature asking permission to move from one county to another. Mills said her bill simply allows interested parties to make the case that Livermore Falls should be allowed to separate from Androscoggin and become part of Franklin County.

“If there is enough support, then the Legislature may allow a local vote on the issue in order for the town to proceed to secede,” Mills said.

Gove said the bill might be withdrawn if the town does not wish to pursue annexation to Franklin County.

For the town to change counties, voters in Livermore Falls would have to approve the measure, as would Franklin County voters.