ALFRED  — A compromise that saw the York County Sheriff Bill King drop his  request for a confidential administrative assistant in order to earmark more money to replace aging cruisers won approval from the county budget committee after an hour-long discussion on Wednesday.

The York County Budget Committee is in the process of reviewing a $19.7 million county budget, with $16.6 million to be raised from taxation, for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Chairman John Sylvester on Wednesday said the panel is eyeing a mid-June public hearing. In its current form, expenditures are up 0.51 percent from this year. 

The expenditure lines ha dbeen a bit higher, but through some reductions proposed by Commissioner Richard Dutremble, commissioners in April shaved off about $110,000 from the total.

Committee members are taking votes on each departmental budget along the way, but will make final votes following a public hearing.

Each of the county’s 29 communities pay a share of the county tax, with high value coastal towns with ocean frontage paying the largest percentages —  the town of York, for example, pays 13.9 percent of the county tax, which translates into 11.17 percent of the proposed budget, or $2.2 million. Wells comes next with, 10.14 percent of the county tax, or 8.59 percent  of the county budget, at $1.7 million, according to preliminary figures supplied by York County government. Biddeford’s proposed county tax tab is $1.2 million, Saco is $1.17 million, Sanford $750,000 and other communities pay lesser amounts. The town with the lowest proposed county tax bite in the coming year is Cornish, at about $73,000. 

As currently proposed by county commissioners, the county budget includes $250,000 to jumpstart the Layman Way Recovery Center, and some part-time staff in the human resources, maintenance and district attorney’s offices.

There are savings in health insurance, due to a change in carriers.

King had sought $200,000 to replace six high mileage vehicles — vehicles with odometers from a low of 148,000 miles to a high of 176,000 miles. Commissioners had countered with $100,000, up considerably from the $32,000 earmarked in the prior year. However, ultimately King got the $200,000 he advocated for.

County government has previously booked small amounts for vehicles in the budget, relying on end-of-year surpluses in the sheriff’s office to buy additional vehicles.

King told county budget committee members that the $100,000 figure was a “huge improvement” over previous years, but stressed the need to replace six vehicles. And with vacancies that had fueled end-of-year surpluses now filled, there might not be as much money available. As well, he said, including the expenditures in the budget makes it more transparent where funds come from for purchases.

King pointed out that he had already given up two vacant part-time positions and his request for a detective in his $2.8 million budget. He said he was also willing to remove money earmarked for a full-time confidential  assistant— who was to be hired part-way through the year to save money— in order to fund the vehicles.

“I want people to be safe,” he said of his deputies.

Budget Committee member Dean LePage said he liked the proposal, and advocated for supporting the sheriff’s office.

He pointed out that the county was preparing to use $250,000 to fund a new drug rehabilitation program, and while he said he’s not against that program, he believes the sheriff’s office needs to be well equipped.

“Why not advocate for what we have now,” he said. “We need to support the sheriff’s office.”

Others hesitated, thinking of the couty tax bite, but in the end, the budget panel voted  to remove money for the confidential assistant, reduce the vehicle maintenance line by $10,000 — reasoning tht new vehicles wouldn’t need as many repairs — and topped up the $100,000 vehicle line by another $100,000.

They also gave initial approval for a $10.5 million York County Jail budget after a lengthy discussion.

The York County Budget Committee meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the York County Government Building, 149 Jordan Springs Road. Among the list of items on the agenda next week is a presentation from York County Shelter Programs Inc. on their projected role in the Layman Way Recovery Center.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].