On November 8, the Lincoln County Advisory Committee recommended a 1.24 percent increase to the county budget.

The $10.260 million recommendation includes setting aside less money to pay benefits to county employees who may be laid off during 2013, a 1.75 percent raise for non-union county employees and setting aside less money to repair county properties.

Members also recommended a hike in the Sheriff's Department budget to $1.954 million. That number doesn't include pay increases for union employees, because union representatives are still   negotiating those. Last year’s Sheriff’s Department budget was $1.891 million.

The budget committee voted that the Capital Reserve account should be decreased from $10,000 to $5,000, and the Unemployment Reserve request of $5,000 should be completely taken out the budget, decreasing the reserve accounts to $218,900 total.

There is currently $45,607 in the Capital Improvement Reserve account and $30,707 in the Unemployment Reserve account.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, the budget committee will present the finalized budget to the board of commissioners. The commissioners will review the recommendations and make a final decision on the budget before the end of December. Lincoln County’s 2013 budget will begin January 1, 2013.

Unemployment

During the November 9 meeting, committee member Phil Johnston asked about the county’s unemployment liability. Lincoln County Administrator John O’Connell said he wasn’t sure just how it worked, but the county was responsible to pay unemployment benefits to any laid-off employee.   O’Connell said the county is self insured for unemployment benefits. Unemployment benefits are paid to employees by the Maine Department of Labor, and reimbursed by the county.

The county has not paid any unemployment benefit this past year. However, should the county find itself in a situation requiring lay-offs, the money now in the unemployment reserve account would not last long, according to O’Connell.

Non-union employee pay increase

The budget committee recommended a 1.75 increase for the non-union employees, but not before

Budget Committee Chairman Ed Polewarscyk had an opportunity to show his skills in parliamentary procedures, dealing with one motion and two amendments to it.  

Budget committee member Josh Pinkham moved to give non-union employees a 1.75 percent cost of living increase. Budget committee member Henry Nevins of Bremen moved to amend the motion and give the non-union employees a cost of living increase of 3.25 percent.

Nevins said the non-union employees do not get the increases union employees get, and that's not fair to them. Nevins' motion to amend did not receive a second.

“Things are not always fair,” budget committee member Carl Cunningham said.

Johnston added, “People (who) are not unemployed should be very thankful, because there are others in the county who are unemployed and those on limited income. We should be thinking of them, and not putting a burden on them.”

Polewarczyk moved to amend the motion to give the non-union employees a 2.5 cost of living increase. That motion got a second but when it came before the committee for a vote it failed. The left the original motion of a 1.75 percent increase on the floor for a vote, and it passed.