Commissioners welcome new detectives, approve budget

FARMINGTON – County commissioners welcomed two new detectives to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and approved the 2013-2014 budget Tuesday morning.

Cpl. Kenneth Charles and Cpl. Stephen Charles will fill the open detective positions in the department. Det. David St. Laurent was promoted to detective lieutenant, responsible for managing ongoing department investigations, while Det. Thomas White retired in late May.

Kenneth and Stephen Charles were former patrol supervisors with the department, and are brothers. Sheriff Scott Nichols Sr. said that there were three applicants for the two vacancies, with personnel from FCSD, and Farmington and Wilton police departments sitting on the board that conducted interviews on May 31.

Saying that the former corporals had displayed “incredible instincts for investigation,” Nichols said he was confident that Kenneth and Stephen Charles would excel at their new positions. “We’re fortunate to have them,” he said.

Commissioners voted unanimously to support the promotions. Nichols noted that the department would post the two, open patrol supervisor positions in house, and look to hire two more deputies to fill the positions left vacant from those anticipated promotions.

Turning to the county budget, commissioners made no alterations to the $5,516,888 budget recommended by the budget committee on May 23. Commissioners did briefly discuss the approximate $3,000 cut to administrative flex benefits, which some budget committee members had indicated was an attempt to flat-fund elected official flex benefits. Commissioners indicated that they did not support cutting flex benefits for full-time, non-elected employees, such as the county clerk or administrative assistant, but noted that they were willing to reduce their own benefits to cover the difference.

“I think we can do it in the framework that you’ve set forth,” Commissioner Gary McGrane of Jay said, addressing budget committee member Ryan Morgan, who attended the meeting.

Commissioner Fred Hardy moved a number of changes to the program and grant section of the budget, representing both increases and decreases to funding. A motion to reduce Tri-County Mental Health from $20,000 to $10,000 failed with McGrane opposed, while motions to set Western Maine Community Action, Adult Education, Threshold of Main and Greater Franklin Development Corp to their flat-funded levels either failed by a vote of 1 to 2 or died for lack of seconds.

“I think the budget committee’s done a wonderful job this year,” McGrane said, adding that he thought good points had been raised at the public hearing. He said after the commissioners voted, 2 to 1 with Hardy opposed, in favor of the budget that he also appreciated comments being heard at the second meeting, when the budget committee voted on the line items.