Sagadahoc County hears three budget requests from Soil & Water, MCOG and Cooperative Extension

Sagadahoc County commissioners on April 14 heard budget presentations from three regional service organizations and asked staff for more detail on funding sources and local service footprints.

Emma, project director of the Andean Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, described the district’s recent work — watershed surveys, technical site visits, youth and adult education, and a first-time native-plant sale with a pickup location in Bodenham — and said the district is requesting $13,000 for fiscal year 2027 to support expanded staffing and education work. "So we're just asking for 13,000, for 2027," Emma said, and offered to supply county commissioners with county-specific activity and budget detail on request.

Commissioners followed up on grant funding. Emma said the district expects existing two-year projects supported by EPA funds to continue and that the district plans to apply in the 2025 application cycle for Section 319 Clean Water Act funding. Commissioners also clarified that DACF refers to the state Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Max Johnson, senior planner with the Midcoast Council of Governments (MCOG), presented MCOG’s request for $55,928 for the coming fiscal year and summarized regional services including technical assistance, mapping, shoreland and planning work, and community contracts. "Tonight, I am just here to support for MCOG's budget request for $55,928 for the upcoming fiscal year," Johnson said. He noted a recent regional wage study with responses from 14 of 16 counties and told commissioners that MCOG recently received a new revolving loan award for brownfield remediation of about $1,000,000.

Commissioners asked Johnson to clarify columns in MCOG’s packet (historical FYE columns versus the proposed FYE 26 column) and to spell out which towns have purchased extra community‑contract services beyond the basic membership hours; Johnson identified several recent contracts (site‑plan review, housing studies and planner time for specific towns) and said he would follow up on packet formatting to make figures easier to read.

Janice Moore, treasurer and secretary of the Sagadahoc County Extension Association, summarized Cooperative Extension programming in the county — 4‑H youth development, master gardener volunteers and farm business support — and requested flat funding of $32,280 for fiscal year 2026, a line described in the packet as 37% of the association’s annual budget. "At this time, we respectfully ask you to establish funding for the 2026 fiscal year in the amount of $32,280," Moore said. Moore explained that county funds pay for office staff and building maintenance while programmatic staff and program funding come from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and external grants.

A broader policy exchange followed on whether the county should fund nonprofit organizations or regional bodies that primarily serve other jurisdictions. Several commissioners warned that unrestricted support could open the floodgates for many requests; one commissioner said the county should consider a policy that limits or sets conditions on donations to nonprofits and outside agencies. Others stressed the value of regional partners such as MCOG and the extension for leveraging state and federal grants on behalf of small towns.

The commission scheduled follow-up budget deliberations for April 19 and April 26 to review updated packet information and additional detail promised by presenters. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded and approved by voice vote.

What’s next: presenters agreed to send requested supplemental details (county‑level activity lists, clearer packet column notes and grant‑source clarifications) before the commission’s April follow‑up meetings; the commission did not vote on any funding requests at the April 14 session.