AUBURN — Every official letter protesting Androscoggin County commissioners’ decision to ease deep cuts in their own salaries and benefits will be answered with a personalized response.

The seven-member commission agreed Wednesday that all deserve a thoughtful reply, if not an entirely unique one.

Tentative plans call for custom responses for each town, depending on their requests. However, each of the letters also will include a block of information that aims to clarify misconceptions that commissioners receive 100-percent-paid-for health care benefits (they pay the same 7 percent share as other county employees) and that they voted to raise their own salaries.

“I hear over and over that I raised my compensation,” Chairwoman Beth Bell said Wednesday. “I was elected at $7,200-a-year compensation and my compensation is reduced to $5,000. So, I’m not quite sure how that is a pay raise, and I am quite tired of it being presented that way.”

The controversy has continued for more than two months, igniting discussion at every board of selectmen, town council and city council meeting in the county.

On Oct. 29 and again on Nov. 19, the Androscoggin County Budget Committee voted to slash pay and eliminate benefits for members of the commission.

Gone were family health and dental plans, worth as much as $18,000 per person. Salary was lowered from $8,292 for the chair and $7,200 for the other commissioners to $3,500 and $3,000, respectively.

On Nov. 25, commissioners voted 2-0-1 to overturn the cut and pass their own, softer cut, proposed by themselves weeks earlier.

Commissioners Beth Bell and Elaine Makas voted in favor of $5,000 in base salary, the same $500 boost for the chair and individual health care worth about $8,400 per person. Randall Greenwood, the chairman at the time, abstained.

Commissioners argued that they had the right to set their own pay, citing language in the county charter and their lawyers’ opinion.

Members of the Budget Committee disagreed and have requested an opinion from Maine Attorney General Janet Mills.

Her office has yet to reply to the request.

“I would like an opinion from her as well,” Makas said.

Plans call for commissioners to vote on a finished letter at a meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Bell said it ought to be a lengthy letter that fully expresses the commissioners’ perspective and puts to rest rumors, including some people’s worries that commissioners would receive lifetime benefits. That ended for those newly elected to county office starting in 2004.

dhartill@sunjournal.com