ALFRED — The York County Budget Committee restored $46,750 earmarked for social service agencies to the proposed 2011 county budget Wednesday.
The decision reverses the county commissioner’s plan to reduce funding by half, from $93,500.
The 9-2 vote came after the committee heard presentations by the agencies affected, including: York County Community Action, York County Shelter’s Food Pantry Program, HomeHealth Visiting Nurses, Caring Unlimited, Southern Maine Agency on Aging and Community Dental Health.
Agency representatives said the county funds act as a required match, helping draw down federal dollars, and can be used to provide services to those who might otherwise not qualify for help. In one example, Ken Murray of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging pointed out that $8,000 in county funding to Caring Unlimited in 2010 allowed that agency to take in $250,000 in federal money.
Some budget committee members took the commissioners to task for halving the allotments when commissioners are in line for a 2 percent raise in 2011, on top of 6.5 percent raises they received for 2010.
The 6.5 percent commissioner’s increase for 2010 totaled $2,756 spread over five commissioners. Four are paid about $8,800 each annually, with the fifth, the chairman, earning about $9,200, according to Finance Director Victoria Ridlon.
The budget committee in 2010 removed money from the commissioner’s budget for raises, but they were tendered anyway. Commissioners some months ago voted to take money from the fund balance to pay for several items, including their 2010 raises, but learned earlier Wednesday an unexpected increase in revenue means the fund balance won’t have to be tapped for that purpose.
Budget Committee member Joseph Hanslip, who disclosed that he is president of York County Shelters, a non-paid position, said he was “appalled and offended” that the commissioners, who had taken a pay raise when funds were cut from their budget, would proceed with a cut to the social service agencies.
The overall proposed York County budget for 2011 is $18.36 million, with $15.95 million to be paid by the county’s 29 municipalities.
Commissioners, including David Bowles, the representative to the budget board, did not attend Wednesday’s session. Instead, Chairman Sallie Chandler wrote a memo to the budget panel.
Chandler noted commissioners have a legal obligation to fund only agencies and services required under state law; that funding the agencies reduced the amount of money available for services the county is legally required to provide; and noted the agencies receive funding through private donations, state and municipal grants.
She wrote that the municipalities pick up 87 percent of the tab for the county budget, and said it is the municipalities right to fund the agencies as they wish ”“ and some do not. Chandler reasoned that the county’s funding of the agencies constitutes a mandate on the municipalities and that current economic conditions are forcing governments across the country to reassess funding priorities.
Budget panel member Richard Clark expressed frustration that the commissioners were absent and therefore unavailable to answer questions.
“They don’t want to take care of the poor, but they’re willing to take care of themselves,” Clark said of commissioners, referring to their proposed raises.
Budget committee member Kim Oliver said no raises have been granted in Limerick, where she is a selectman, for the past three years.
“I’m not sad they’re not here, I’m pissed,” said Oliver.
Member Art Tardif, along with John Reed, voted against restoring the funds. Tardif said he would like to know more about the agencies, including salary levels of those who work there.
The panel also reviewed the proposed budget for the District Attorney’s office, which is flat-funded at $972,000, and questioned Ridlon about debt service, contingency fund and interest on tax anticipation notes.
Bowles, reached Thursday, said he made a conscious decision not to attend the budget meeting.
During regular budget sessions, the purpose of having commissioners present is to answer questions about departmental budgets, he said. He noted the letter sent from Chandler to the board, outlining the board’s reasoning. His decision against attending was not a slight to the agencies, said Bowles, and he plans to attend an upcoming public hearing on the overall budget, which had not yet been scheduled by the budget board.
As well, Bowles voiced another reason for his decision not to attend.
“There is a frustration on the part of the commissioners that the budget committee meetings often degenerate into ”˜gotcha’ sessions, as opposed to attempts to craft meaningful budget decisions,” he said.
— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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