By David Harry

Staff Writer 

Though no jobs will be lost as York County Commissioners closed a budget gap, commissioners and County Manager Richard Brown warned last week of tougher times to come.

In the July 8 county commissioners meeting, Brown said department leaders found ways to cut budgets and obtained grants to offset the loss of revenue anticipated to begin Sept. 15 when a revision of the state jail consolidation law takes effect.

In the short term, Brown said county attorneys issued an opinion that $250,000 of state reimbursements for jail operations alleviate the need to eliminate eight positions. Initially, it was feared by county officials that $900,000 in state revenue would be lost for this year and up to 40 positions would have to be cut.

But deeper cuts are coming for the 2010 budget that takes effect Jan. 1, Brown said. After Sept. 15, the reimbursements used for general purposes can only be applied to the jail budget and the county will have to account for at least $900,000 in lost revenues. 

“This is a temporary situation,” Brown said.

As county commissioners create the 2010 budget, the shares paid by 29 York County towns must increase or spending reductions must be considered, Brown said.

The current budget of $19.5 million was reduced by about $46,000 from 2008, according to county budget documents.

York County government services include the York County Sheriff’s Office led by Sheriff Maurice Ouellette, the York County Jail in Alfred (administered by the sheriff’s office), the York County District Attorney’s Office led by Mark Lawrence, the registry of deeds and probate court.

Budget documents show the jail is the most expensive budget item, with $8.3 million allocated for its operations and another $271,000 in funding for community based programs. There is also $2 million spent for debt service on the bond used to build the jail, which opened in 2003.

The state took over operations for county jails in 2008, paid for in part by county shares that are capped. The cap figure in York County is $8.66 million. 

Any costs above the cap are assumed by the state, Ouellette said.

At the meeting, Brown lauded Lawrence and Ouellette for making more budget cuts this year. Lawrence, who was forced to eliminate one-and-a-half positions when the current budget was approved, said a combination of spending reductions, increased fees and stimulus money will offset an additional $54,000 already cut by commissioners.

Lawrence said $16,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – commonly called the stimulus act – will offset the loss of county funds.

Lawrence also expects doubling the fees charged to probationers for adult supervision services from $75 to $150 will add another $17,000. He did eliminate about $20,000 in “non-personnel spending,” including supplies, he said. 

Ouellette said he shifted a portion of a detective’s salary to expenses for the jail because the detective spends the majority of his time investigating incidents of vandalism and other offenses at the jail. 

Expenses for mechanical work on jail vehicles and software used at the jail were also shifted from the sheriff’s office to the jail budget, Ouellette said. 

The sheriff’s office also used about $56,000 in federal money to offset county cuts, Ouellette said.

Commissioners also approved decreasing the hourly rate for private attorneys handling county probate cases from $60 per hour to $50 per hour.

County Commissioner Richard Dutremble said the county had “60 days to a solution” for making up the shortfall for next year and said the temporary solutions were “giving everyone a chance to work together.”

Members of two unions representing county employees questioned what defines “together.”

Patricia Mayo, who has worked in the registry of deeds since 1987, said she and colleagues have given back vacation time, worked reduced hours and delayed scheduled raises to avert layoffs.

In good economic times, the office generates revenue through fees paid on deed transfers from property sales. With her hours reduced to 30 a week from 36, Mayo said it was time her supervisors also take pay cuts. Rachel Sherman of Maine State Employees Association local 1297, the 47-member local for clerical and custodial county workers, said the union is not averse to reopening contract negotiations but lack information needed on county finances.

Michael Hayes, who heads the County Patrolman Association, said his union has also approached commissioners about new negotiations.

Commissioner David Bowles confirmed Hayes has approached commissioners about renegotiating the contract, but Hayes called on commissioners to be more forthcoming and accurate about the condition of county finances.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 241