FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to accept a $65,000 bid from Jason Orr of Farmington to provide winter maintenance on about 6.8 miles of roads in Perkins and Washington townships.

The cost is about $9,558 a mile, county Clerk Julie Magoon said.

It cost $49,500 last year, she said. Orr also held the contract then.

The contract for winter maintenance went out to bid this year. Orr’s bid was the only one received.

Orr has to provide sand and salt and equipment for the job, Commission Chairman Fred Hardy said.

“We’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place,” Commissioner Gary McGrane of Jay, said.

The county had asked representatives from other towns in the area to see if they wanted to extend their routes and provide winter maintenance, he said.

Magoon said she only budgeted $49,500 for the work. There will be a significant deficit in the snow removal budget, she said.

There is a contingency account in the unorganized territory budget.

In other business, commissioners voted to hire Tyler Richards of Strong as a full-time dispatcher. Richards was a reserve dispatcher and previously worked for Franklin County and Carrabassett Valley dispatching, Magoon said.

Richards will fill the position of Tom Marble, who was promoted to supervisor.

dperry@sunjournal.com