Commissioners approve deputy hire amid debate over timing, funding and assignment to drug task force

The Hancock County Commission voted Nov. 4 to approve the sheriff's request to hire Dylan Pong Franklin as a patrol deputy with a start date of Nov. 29, 2025, after extended discussion about budget responsibility and the operational timing of training.

The chair opened the discussion by saying the budget must be adjusted and proposing that commissioners approve conditional offers before hires proceed. The sheriff's office representative replied that the department had completed the county's hiring checklist and that funding could be covered by existing budgeted lines rather than creating a new position. The representative also described the hiring and probation process, including field training, academy attendance, polygraph and psychological screening, and probationary periods (six months for academy-trained hires; up to about 18 months for others).

That exchange centered on two practical questions: whether the county needed to add money to department budget lines to cover an additional trainee, and whether transferring a deputy into a regional drug enforcement assignment Jan. 1 would leave a short-term vacancy in the patrol ranks. Commissioners warned that training timelines could leave an eight-month coverage gap in the originating unit unless funding and reassignment were coordinated.

Despite those concerns, a motion to hire Dylan Pong Franklin was made and seconded; commissioners approved the hire by voice vote.

Separately, one commissioner moved to transfer a deputy to the Downey's Drug Task Force effective Jan. 1. Commissioners debated whether such an operational reassignment required a formal vote by the commission and whether it would materially reduce patrol coverage while a newly hired deputy completed training. The transfer motion was put to a vote; vocal affirmations and at least one recorded opposition were noted. The commissioners recessed for five minutes following the vote and then continued with other agenda items.

The sheriff's office representative emphasized the department's view that the county should participate in the drug task force and said other local agencies (Bar Harbor Police Department, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine State Police, and other sheriffs' offices) assign personnel to that multi-agency unit. He also said Maine State Police command staff told him they did not plan to add another trooper to the task force and that county participation was therefore important to maintain local representation.

What happens next: the hire for Dylan Pong Franklin is effective Nov. 29, 2025. Commissioners left questions about internal reassignments and operational staffing to be managed by the sheriff's office in consultation with county administration; some commissioners requested clearer budget reallocation documentation and timing before additional transfers are carried out.