March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Agencies criticize county budget at meeting

SKOWHEGAN — The Somerset County Commissioners held their proposed 1992 budget up for public scrutiny Monday night and received harsh criticism from several social service agencies. Nearly 30 people attended the public hearing in the Superior Courtroom of the county courthouse, representing towns from Jackman to Pittsfield.

Although the commissioners were able to keep expenditures under control — proposing to spend $23,231 less than in 1991, the lack of revenue will have an adverse affect on taxes levied on individual communities.

Total expenditures for 1992 were proposed at $2,762,997, up from $2,786,328 in 1991. Revenues, however, are expected to drop to $428,063 from the 1991 figure of $768,914. As a result, the amount proposed to be raised by taxation is $2,334,934, up from the $2,017,414 raised in 1991.

The most obvious missing revenues are surplus funds and the interest generated by the surplus account. Last year, the county budget was offset by taking $200,000 from the surplus account. In 1989 and again in 1990, $350,000 was taken from surplus to offset taxation.

Interest income added another $30,000 to the revenues last year. With no surplus funds available this year, interest income at only $5,000, and a $50,000 reduction expected from the Community Corrections Act, revenues are expected to decrease by $340,851.

To help control costs, the commissioners also recommend that no elected county officials receive a pay raise. Other raises, because of union contracts, are built into the budget for 1992.

Proposals for most departments remain the same or show small differences from 1991. The most noticeable cuts are propqsed in social services, which commissioners recommend be reduced by more than $65,000 from the requested figures.

Seven agencies that have routinely been funded through the county budget face cuts in their requests. In some cases, the proposed cuts were drastic.

The Diocesan Human Relations Services, which provides homemaking services to house-bound or incapacitated people, has been funded at the same level for the past decade — $19,000. That figure was slashed to $5,000 by the commissioners.

The proposed contribution to Central Maine Area Agency on Aging, or Senior Spectrum, which supplied more than 26,000 Meals on Wheels last year, was chopped from $9,731 to $5,000. The Kennebec Valley Mental Health Association was deeply hurt when its anticipated $36,039 was dropped to $5,000.

Roger Poulin, a member of the Kennebec Valley Mental Health board, told the commissioners that although he recognized the difficulty of the upcoming budget year, the proposed cuts would hurt critically needed services. “There are some people out there, Poulin said, “who need help and are not going to get it. Are they going to stop getting needy when times are hard? Just the opposite. Let’s take a look at the needs, not make across-the-board cuts.”

KVMH personnel said that 1,600 chronically ill people have been discharged from institutions in the Somerset/Kennebec area. “These peoples’ needs are so massive,” said one representative. “Whether or not they belong on the outside of institutions is not the question tonite. Nevertheless, they are here. These people are pouring into your communities with no resources to take care of them.”

Commissioner Charles Carpenter told those lobbying for the social services programs “From here, we’ve cut a lot. We looked at all these agencies and have listened to them over the years. Sometimes it is confusing as to what they do or if their services overlap. I’m sure you’re going to find it tough.” He suggested that their individual concerns be taken to their legislators.

When State Rep. Dorothy Rotundi (D-Athens) questioned why some social services were left intact, others received small cuts but some where deeply cut, Carpenter said “Some we felt weren’t strictly in Somerset County.”


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