ROCKLAND, Maine — Knox County commissioners got a first peek Friday morning at a 2015 budget with expenses up about 3 percent. Communities, however, could see their tax payments to the county increase by nearly 7 percent because of projected drops in revenues.
County Administrator Andrew Hart stressed that the budget was only a rough draft and that there could be many changes before a proposal goes for a formal review by the commissioners and county budget committee.
Total expenses projected for county government in 2015 are $8,767,000, up about 3 percent from the 2014 approved budget of $8,524,000.
The county’s share of the jail budget accounts for the single largest expense at $3,573,000, the same as in 2014.
The sheriff’s patrol budget is proposed at $1,949,000, up about 4 percent. Sheriff Donna Dennison has proposed creating an additional patrol supervisor position. The department currently has two patrol supervisors and 10 deputies.
Chief Deputy Tim Carroll told commissioners Friday that the added position was needed because of a sharp increase in calls. The chief deputy pointed out that in 2009, the department responded to 8,131 calls, and already through Sept. 30 this year the department has had 13,679 calls. The number of arrests have jumped 56 percent since 2009, reaching 947 arrests in 2013, he said.
Carroll said drug crimes are fueling part of the increase, making reference to the help the county provided last month when an armed man took a hostage at the Rite Aid pharmacy in Camden.
The communications budget is down about 1 percent to $1 million.
The airport budget is proposed at $570,000, up 16 percent. That increase is due mostly to $65,000 budgeted for the county’s share of runway repairs. An administrative position is proposed to increase from 32 hours per week to 36.
The administration budget is proposed at $527,000, also up about 4 percent.
The only other additional position proposed for the budget is a new 20-hour-per-week geospatial database manager for $16,730. EMA Director Ray Sisk said the position has been funded previously by a Homeland Security grant to update flood maps. Sisk said the proposal would have the county fund the position to help communities with tasks such as updating zoning maps.
The possible 6.6 percent increase in the county communities’ tax commitment also is due to an expected decrease in revenues. In 2014, the county used $230,000 in surplus to offset expenses. No surplus funds were listed in the budget presented Friday, but Hart said that a figure would be available later in the budget review process.
Projected revenues from the registry of deeds are down $50,000.
As this budget is proposed, Camden — which pays the most of any community because of its higher valuation — would see its payment increase by about $70,000, reaching $1,266,000. Rockport would pay $57,000 more, reaching $1,012,000. Rockland would pay $44,000 more for a total tax commitment of $926,000.
The commissioners and budget committee are scheduled to begin their review on Oct. 23 and approval is scheduled for Dec. 18. Formal public hearings are scheduled for both those dates with a series of meetings in between.