MACHIAS, Maine — Washington County residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed $5.8 million 2013 county budget at a 2 p.m. public hearing Thursday, Dec. 13, at the county commissioners office in Machias.
The draft budget of $5,792,431 is up $65,000 from the 2012 budget year bottom line of $5,727,601. That translates to about a 1 percent increase.
“The budget committee looked at everything pretty closely,” said Milbridge Town Manager Lewis Pinkham, who chaired the county’s budget advisory committee. “We tried to do what’s best for the whole county, but there are services that you just can’t do without.
“This new budget provides for a 3 percent raise for all employees,” he said Tuesday. “This year we were only able to provide them with a 1 percent raise.”
The county employs 104 people, 78 full time.
The 2013 budget anticipates that taxation will generate $5.2 million next year. It also anticipates additional revenues of $585,204. The county will continue to maintain a contingency fund of $100,000, the same amount as in the 2012 budget.
The proposed budget shows that operating the Washington County Jail remains the county’s highest expense, at $2 million a year. The projected cost of employee benefits next year is expected to be $992,000, which incorporates a 12 percent increase in health insurance costs.
The proposed 2013 budget for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department is $758,000, which is about $87,000 less than the department’s 2012 budget. Sheriff Donnie Smith said the decrease is related to no longer having to pay two deputies to patrol Lubec, which dropped its law enforcement contract last July 1.
Many towns in the county are flat-lining their budgets by cutting services. The county just keeps on raising the budget without any regard for the people who have to pay the oppressive taxes. They need to recall their history and keep vigilant against the rabble of the county. We should require a county-wide referendum on the budget every year. See how the almighty three handle having to sell this increase to the proletariat! “rotundi est exitus cogitationis”
Single payer health care seems more and more important as the
Commissioners trot out the annual budget.
The latest 12% increase for health insurance is all but criminal
in todays economy.
I will vote for smarter health insurance spending.
The 12% health insurance increase is lower than I expected. After the LD 90 bill was signed by legislation in Maine , W. County and Aroostock County were affected the most. Many companies are not given raises this year. The 3% is rather high.
The only true benefit these people get is healthcare and soon that will be taken away because of Obamacare, which is why healthcare costs have risen so much, they (insurance companies) are preparing for next year.
And yet I don’t recall Machias residents complaining when all the town employees got raises this year. What exactly do they(Machias employees) do that they deserve to make as much or more than the Sheriff? The Jail Administrator? A Deputy? A jail guard?
They should not get anymore then what SS gets which is 1.7%.
Right, they shouldn’t get more than the people they have to arrest and babysit now should they? All because they actually work for a living!
It’s so easy to be an armchair quarterback. Why don’t you go visit the jail for a week and see what these people have to put up with? They are constantly hiring people because the average joe can’t handle the stress and get paid less then McDonalds starts people at.
No one is making them work there.
1. The 3% is probably union employees not non-union employees and 2. They may get a 3% raise but the 12% healthcare rise means they actually get -9% LESS then what they got last year. Every year they have gotten an increase it has always been offset with a rise in healthcare so in essence, they never get raises unless they are union and even then, it’s not much!
You try going to work everyday and babysit or arrest the adults Washington County PARENTS and TEACHERS couldn’t be bothered to teach right and wrong when they were kids and are now druggies, thieves, and abusive individuals (not to mention the few murderers that come along). Try being stalked by nut cases like Lee (see this weeks local MVNO paper regarding Karina Richards!). These are the people that deserve to make what you’re paying teachers, bankers, managers, baseball players, football players, & rock stars. Instead they are rewarded snide comments by idiots commenting on here.