AUBURN — Androscoggin County commissioners received an earful from members of the Budget Committee and two members of the original Charter Commission during a public hearing Wednesday concerning a possible amendment to the County Charter.

“I was asked recently by Commissioner (Beth) Bell, what’s my agenda?” Budget Committee member Emily Darby said. “My agenda is very simple. An open and honest government with a responsibility to the taxpayers of this county.”

“It’s a little dishonest that the charter was changed,” Budget Committee member Andrew Titus said.

The two groups have clashed since last year when commissioners overruled a decision by the Budget Committee to drastically cut the commissioners’ salaries. Commissioners, whose numbers grew from three to seven this year under the new charter, adopted a smaller cut.

Each group believes the charter gives it the power to adopt the county budget.

The charter was approved by the voters of Androscoggin County in 2012.

Much of the discussion Wednesday night centered on the commissioners asking the Legislature to amend the charter without voter approval because “it was realized that the wrong charter had been voted on,” according to the summary of bill LD 1084 during the 126th Legislature in 2013.

“I have no clue why someone would go out and rewrite this document that had already been accepted and approved by the voters of Androscoggin County,” Charter Commission Chairman Richard Gross said.

According to documents requested from the county by Darby, 48 changes were made to the charter, including Section 5.5.4, which gave the authority to adopt the final budget to the commissioners.

Gross and Charter Commission member Chip Morrison said there was never any doubt who had that authority.

“We talked about this thoroughly,” Morrison said. “We wanted to give the municipal officials who make up a large portion of the Budget Committee an override authority.

“The reason for that is very simple. Municipal officials have to appropriate what (the commissioners) tell them to appropriate for the county budget,” he said.

Budget Committee members insisted that the commissioners return to the original charter approved by the voters in 2012.

“It’s unfortunate we’ve had so many things muddy the waters,” Budget Committee member Norm Beauparlant said.

To address concerns that they could raise their salaries, the commissioners had proposed an amendment saying that the Budget Committee had the final say on this one item.

But Lewiston City Manager Ed Barrett countered with two suggested amendments of his own. The first would simplify the commissioners’ version and include all compensation instead of just salaries.

The second would address the budgeting process. The Budget Committee would first review the budget submitted by the commissioners. Any cuts would be sent back to the commissioners with an explanation on why the cuts were made. The commissioners could examine those cuts and make changes by a two-thirds vote. The budget would return to the Budget Committee for final adoption. A super-majority of 11 of the 14 members would be needed to reject those changes.

Several members of the Budget Committee liked the amendments offered by Barrett.

The commissioners decided to take no action on their proposed amendments and wanted time to consider Barrett’s recommendations, tabling the issue until their next meeting in two weeks.

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