Lincoln County commissioners on Dec. 4 approved the 2020 budget, up 4.31 % from last year. The tax commitment has not yet been determined.

The buildings budget for 2020 is $406,605, down 0.38 %. Recycling is $342,652, up 13.32 %, mainly due to a decrease in plastic recycling markets. Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission’s budget is $286,343, up 8.32 %, owing mostly to higher personnel and benefits costs.

The debt service budget is $788,250, down 3.88%, partly due to a decrease in contractual services and in the interest paid on bonds. The District Attorney’s office budget is $322,484, up 4.97 %, led mostly by higher personnel costs and benefits. The Deeds office shows a negative budget amount of -$216,576, due to revenue to the department. This was a further decrease of 1.62 % from last year’s budget, which also showed a negative number.

The Communications department’s budget is $1,314,470, up 8.49 %, led by personnel services, benefits and contractual services. Community programs, including Lincoln County Historical Association, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation, and Knox-Lincoln County Farm Bureau, have a budget of $97,263, up 1.62 percent. The probate court and office’s budget for 2020 is $177,067, an increase of 15.40 percent, due mostly to personnel services.

Emergency Management’s budget is $133,599, beyond the grants that largely fund the agency, for a total increase of 7.5 percent. Personnel services and benefits are largely responsible for the increase. The Sheriff’s Office’s budget is $3,140,569, up 1.34 percent, due mostly to employee benefits.

The courts’ budget is $20,103, a 54.57 %increase beyond the court revenues. The increase is led by employee benefits. Jail transport’s budget is $296,891, up 2.76 percent, led by personnel services and benefits. The jail assessment for Two Bridges Regional Jail is $2,420,839, same as last year. County administration’s budget is $610,565, up 7.15 percent, led mostly by employee wages and benefits and contractual services.

The retiree benefits budget is $68,414 in 2020, down 21.03 percent. The contingency account increased 82.43 % to $95,000 in accordance with the auditors’ request. Insurance costs fell 2.06 percent, to $95,000. Capital improvement funding increased 119.22 % to $359,525, also in accordance with the auditors’ request. And reserve accounts dropped as capital improvement funds were moved into their own line item, a budget of $52,520, a decrease of 49.26 percent.

In other business, after receiving information about Crummett Mountain Road in Somerville from Maine Department of Transportation engineer Peter Coughlan, commissioners voted to send residents’ petition issue about the gravel road back to selectmen.

Commissioners said because the weather has turned, the road is stable and nothing can be done through the winter; they hope the town will address the issue in the spring. County Administrator Carrie Kipfer said that because there is a new road commissioner in Somerville, the issue may be addressed without further intervention.

The Sheriff’s Office reinstated its Deputy of the Quarter recognition program. As voted by his peers, this quarter’s winner was Jonathan Colby, a patrol deputy who often works in the middle of the night.

The jail re-opened a pod to use it for female inmates, due to an influx of women inmates from other counties. Currently, the jail has 55 inmates from Penobscot, which is above the number agreed to, but the jail has agreed to take the extra inmates at the same rate. Many of the extra inmates are women.

Sheriff Todd Brackett said the shellfish contracts are nearly finalized, and he is in discussion to supplement animal control officers’ numbers with deputies connected to the jail transit program and court security. Brackett received permission to change carriers for the anonymous tip program to a new program called Tipp411, since LTip is going up in price. Healthy Lincoln County is providing $600 to help offset the cost of the program.

Emergency Management accepted Newcastle Chrysler’s bid for a 2020 Ram Crew Cab 1500 pickup for $30,487. Kipfer said the software for the computer that runs the recycling department’s baler will cost $17,799. Commissioners signed the purchase order.

Communications hired Candace Wall to fill its vacancy. The department plans to celebrate the life of Kathy Blagdon, who lost her battle with cancer on Nov. 20. The department wanted to honor her dedication to gardening by creating a small memorial garden with a birdhouse and lighthouse. Blagdon had been with the department 37 years.