AUBURN — The main purpose for Wednesday’s Androscoggin County Commission meeting was to finalize and adopt the 2017 county budget.

Commissioners did finalize the last budget hurdle and decided where funds would come from to cover the $15,000 increase in legal fees, but they forgot to vote Wednesday night to adopt the final 2017 county budget.

Commissioners adjourned believing their work was finished.

A vote is required to adopt the final budget, according to the County Charter. That vote allows for setting the tax rate for the county municipalities.

There was confusion whether a vote was ever taken. County Administrator Larry Post thought there was one, but added in an email Wednesday night that “it is entirely possible I am wrong.”

“I thought we did it at our last meeting, but I may be mistaken,” Commissioner Randall Greenwood of Wales said Thursday. “If it wasn’t done, it must get done, and we’ll do it at our next meeting.”

Greenwood said he discussed the situation with Post on Thursday. The county administrator was going to review the tapes from Wednesday’s meeting and the previous meeting on Nov. 16, Greenwood said.

After checking the tapes, Post confirmed later Thursday that no vote was taken. He said commissioners would correct that omission at their next scheduled meeting on Dec. 28.

“We’ll make sure this never happens again,” Post said.

While that date is after the “15 days prior to the end of the fiscal year” deadline set by the Charter, Post does not anticipate any problems with a Dec. 28 vote. 

The fiscal year ends Dec. 31.

The Sun Journal also reviewed tapes from the Nov. 16 meeting. According to the tapes and the minutes from the meeting, three votes were taken during the discussion of the budget:

• Greenwood moved to add $125,000 to the building account with a corresponding $125,000 reduction from the Building Reserve account for the clock tower restoration project (passed 3-2);

• Greenwood moved to add $15,000 to the commissioners’ legal fees line (passed 3-2);

• Commissioner Beth Bell moved to table the approval of the 2017 county budget to give the board more time to find where to offset the funds for legal fees (passed 5-0).

Logically, commissioners did not vote to adopt the budget on Nov. 16 because one of the county departments could have had their budget cut by $15,000.

Commissioners on Wednesday first looked at revenues, but they deadlocked on a motion to use expected Risk Pool revenue. Commissioners then unanimously agreed to take the money from the county reserve account, if needed.

No other vote on the budget was taken.

ssherlock@sunjournal.com