Commissioners discuss
2013 correctional facilities funding
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — While the calendar just turned to 2012, the state is already looking at fiscal year 2013 for its correctional facilities, according to Aroostook County Administrator Doug Beaulieu.
The Aroostook County Commissioners were in Houlton Jan. 3 for their annual organizational meeting. During this gathering, Beaulieu informed the board that the fiscal outlook remains a mixed bag.
“While the financial need for various (correctional facilities) seems to continue to go up, the money the state has to offer is limited at best,” Beaulieu said. “I think what the Board of Corrections will ultimately decide on is a flat-funded budget for FY 2013.”
He relayed that the County would have to prepare its budget in February for the next fiscal year, which begins in July.
“The good news is we essentially prepared a budget a year and a half ago,” Beaulieu said. “We’ll have to dust off the budget we have already prepared. And if they ask us to trim it, then we will have to make some adjustments.”
He said the contractual obligations were as low as they could get, which means if cuts are needed, they would most likely have to be made in personnel.
“That would require limiting our capacity and flooding more inmates into the system, and that doesn’t seem to make sense,” he said. “I think my colleagues on the Board of Corrections will see the sense in giving certain counties that have financial needs (like Aroostook) some extra money above and beyond a level funded budget. I guess I am cautiously optimistic that will happen.”
Beaulieu said the County was on budget in terms of its expenses, but could finish slightly in the red, which would require asking for additional money from the investment fund.
The County recently purchased two new transport vans for the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department at a cost of $62,000. Beaulieu said he would be requesting reimbursement for those vans earlier than payment was expected to help alleviate cash flow issues.
While other correctional facilities around the state have been the subject of closure talks, Beaulieu said that Aroostook County is never mentioned in those talks, primarily due to its location.
“Is there the possibility of more closings on the horizon?” Beaulieu said. “Yes, but it would be a facility located downstate. Our geography benefits us immensely.”
In other agenda items, the board discussed a road closure issue for the town of Haynesville.
A hearing on the road closure was originally scheduled for Jan. 10 in Houlton, but a request was made to reschedule that hearing. The board agreed to move the hearing to Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Houlton.
According to Beaulieu, a group of citizens, represented by attorney Torrey Sylvester, are petitioning the County Commissioners to keep a portion of the Denmark Road open for winter use.
“That portion of the road is presently closed,” Beaulieu said. “The purpose of the hearing is for the commissioners to get into the specifics of the complaint and render a decision on the matter.”
The board also approved the following positions:
• Named Paul A. Adams as chairman for 2012.
• Selected Norman Fournier as the chief elected official for the Workforce Investment Act program.
• Named Paul Underwood as the Maine County Commissioners Association representative and risk pool director. Fournier was also named as the alternate.
