DOVER-FOXCROFT – The 2006-2007 draft budget for the Unorganized Territory in Piscataquis County reflects an 8.7 percent increase which exceeds the allowed limit under LD 1.

The allowed tax cap for the Unorganized Territory is 3.02 percent. To adopt the $1.2 million spending plan, the Piscataquis County Budget Advisory Committee and the Piscataquis County commissioners would need to vote to exceed the tax cap limit.

Driving up next year’s costs are: the winter road maintenance contracts, maintenance of an additional road in Frenchtown and capital expenses.

The budget draft, which the commissioners reviewed Tuesday, now will be submitted to the budget advisory committee for scrutiny.

That budget advisory committee has spent the past few weeks reviewing the proposed $4.5 million spending plan for the county that falls under the tax cap.

Among considerations aired by the committee to date are reducing the proposed 4 percent cost-of-living increase to 2.5 percent, and changing health plans. The committee will provide a list of recommendations when the budget reviews are completed.

Included in the county budget is a request from Sheriff John Goggin for another full-time deputy, the first new hire since 1993. He also has requested funds to hire a full-time corrections officer and a dispatcher, both of which would begin in July.

Goggin cited a multitude of reasons behind his request for another deputy, including the fact that more people have moved into northern Piscataquis County. Increasing complaints from these areas are time consuming, he said. He also said complaints regarding sexual abuse of minors and domestic violence are on the increase. His officers also perform many community services, from teaching D.A.R.E. to participating in parades and fulfilling requests for security at private functions such as weddings.