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Budget Advisory Committee offers preliminary FY26 changes; commissioners get update
Summary
The Budget Advisory Committee recommended a $253,409 reduction to the tax-levy increase, approved $12,703 in wage adjustments for specific positions, and proposed a 3% COLA; commissioners were given a schedule for final recommendations.
At the March 25 Sagadahoc County meeting, Acting Administrator Jill Flaherty and Budget Advisory Committee Chair David Hennessey presented a preliminary review of proposed FY26 budget amendments. The BAC’s recommended changes reduced the county tax levy by $253,409 (2.15%), leaving a reported 14.07% increase. The committee approved $12,703 in wage adjustments affecting Administration Assistant, Facilities Director, two Victim Witness Advocates, Deputy Register of Probate, Sheriff’s Administrative Secretary, Records System Manager, and Civil Administrative Assistant positions.
The BAC recommended a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in response to a provisional 3.7% figure discussed by the commission; BAC Chair David Hennessey said he thought the committee had set the COLA at 3.1% to split the difference, a detail Flaherty said she would verify. The BAC also reduced the Accrued Employee Leave Reserve from $150,000 to $70,000.
On facilities capital, the committee recommended full funding for Roof Replacement, HVAC, Wall Sealant, and Parking Lot Reserves; it reduced Building Maintenance funding to $10,000 and increased the Cooling Tower reserve to $70,000. BAC denied funding for a Generator request pending an electrical engineer assessment and tabled Elevator and Brick Repointing Reserves. For EMA capital, the BAC voted to fund the Hazard Mitigation Plan and GIS Capability Reserves, held funding for EMA Vehicle and ATS TraffiCloud savings plans, and approved all capital requests from the Sheriff’s Office.
Flaherty said the BAC will meet again Thursday to complete the Capital review and will finalize recommendations on April 3, at which point deferred-request totals and jail-savings impacts will be calculated. Hennessey described the process as difficult given large increases and said the committee hoped to defer items where possible.
