Staff Writer
County government officials say that the undesignated surplus account must grow in order to be able to respond to any emergencies that could potentially create a budgetary disaster. Increasing the so-called fund balance, or surplus monies, would allow county government to handle any unforeseen crisis without having to commercially borrow money or take funds from other county accounts, according to Doug Beaulieu, Aroostook County administrator.
Beaulieu began the discussion to increase the fund balance over the next five to eight years during a Dec. 19 meeting of the Aroostook County Commissions. The three-member commission also discussed during a two-hour meeting an alternative plan that Maine’s counties have devised to counter a state effort to consolidate county jails during the two-hour session, Beaulieu said.
Within five years, Beaulieu would like to increase the current amount of about $320,000 to $600,000 in five years. Having up to $1 million in the account in eight years would be the next goal, according to the administrator.
Other than formulate a budget in the fall for the next year, the budget does not get much discussion by the commissioners, according to Beaulieu. However, the county administrator believes it’s time to look at the budget more closely and work to increase surplus funds.
For example, one incident at the jail, where the county is responsible for all medical needs for the inmates, could “wreak havoc” with the budget. Citing a specific case, Beaulieu said that in 2006, the jail had an inmate that required dialysis three times a week for several months. The county was liable for all the costs, the administrator said.
Increasing the surplus account also would minimize the amount of money the county would have to borrow at any given time, Beaulieu said.
County officials hope to end the year with a fund balance of approximately $320,000.
“That’s really not sufficient,” said Beaulieu.
While county officials have taken pride in the small tax increases needed to fund annual budgets, Beaulieu said that there’s not much of a cushion left to allow for emergencies.
Beaulieu explained portions of the fund balance have been used over the last five years to reduce taxes. In addition, the county has borrowed from the Unorganized Territories’ budget for major capital improvement projects. Beaulieu added that those funds have been repaid with interest.
In other business, the commissioners were given an update regarding the governor’s plan to consolidate county jail operations. Earlier in the day, Beaulieu was part of an online, via telephone and Internet, discussion with other county officials throughout the state and a consultant regarding an alternative jail plan.
Although not publicly released, the state’s 16 county administrators are working with a nationally-known corrections consultant on a plan to counter the governor’s proposal for the state to take over the jails’ administration.
Marie VanStrand, PhD has formulated a plan that several legislators plan to introduce in bill form during the next legislative session, which proposes an authority to run the county jails and funded by county governments, Beaulieu said
Beaulieu said that the proposed County Jail Corrections Authority could manage the county jails at a cost of $1.5 million. The funds would come from the individual counties and not require any state funding, Beaulieu said.
However, the governor’s plan would increase payroll by $2 million when county employees become state employees. An additional increase of $9 million would be realized when 33 new positions would be added to run the organization proposed by the governor, according to Beaulieu.
The proposed county jail authority would include providing transportation between counties, debt assumption and pre-trial services, Beaulieu said.
The next county commissioners’ meeting will be held in Houlton on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m.
