Piscataquis County officials adopt 2007 budget

DOVER-FOXCROFT – Piscataquis County commissioners adopted a 2007 budget Tuesday that reflects a decrease and another one that reflects a slight increase.

The county budget of nearly $4.5 million, which reflects a $61,765 decrease in the tax commitment from 2006, was inked.

Also approved was an Unorganized Territory budget that carries a tax commitment of $898,177. The increase in that budget, which provides for only services administered by the commissioners, came in at 0.43 percent. The final Unorganized-Territory budget will be determined by the state’s fiscal administrator after education, welfare and other state costs are included.

The Unorganized Territory budget and the county spending plan adopted by the commissioners fall under the state tax cap.

Both budgets were whittled down over a series of budget meetings held by county commissioners who were aided by a county budget advisory committee.

Incorporated into the county budget before its adoption Tuesday was a 2.5 percent cost-of-living allowance, a move not totally supported by some employees who had asked for 4 percent.

Since the departments based their budgets on a 4 percent COLA, Chief Deputy Dale Clukey recommended Tuesday that the commissioners go halfway and support a 3 percent COLA.

“I think that’s fair; it’s not a pay raise, it’s just to keep up with the cost of living,” Clukey said Tuesday. His request however, was not embraced by the commissioners.

Another change that will affect employees in 2007 is in insurance. The commissioners have changed to a plan that is expected to bring significant savings to the county.

Because employees will pay a higher deductible than in the past, the commissioners have set aside $20,000 to help mitigate the increase.

The concept for the pot of money is to pay the difference between what previously was paid and what will charged in 2007 to employees as the deductible for prescription drugs and for outpatient and inpatient surgery.

“There should not be a substantial impact on the employee,” Owen Pratt, interim county manager, said Tuesday. The guidelines for use of the $20,000 will be developed and the funds will be stretched as far as possible, according to Pratt.