Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset will have a $130,000 gap in the its 2009-2010 operating budget if the state doesn’t take another look at how the budget caps have been set, according to members of the Lincoln and Sagadahoc Jail Authority.

During the authority’s monthly meeting Nov. 4, Treasurer Peter Lepari pointed out that with the decrease in Sagadahoc assessment and the fact that Lincoln County is not paying the additional $11,000 monthly the state has set for their cap, the jail’s operating budget will have a $130,000 gap.

Lincoln County is being assessed for 59 percent of the operating budget and Sagadahoc County is being assessed for 41 percent. Lepari offered to speak to state officials regarding this issue. He said he will point out to them that if the problem is not resolved, it will be up to the state to make up the difference. "This may get their attention," he said.

Another problem the jail is experiencing is the decline in the boarding revenues from other agencies, such as federal inmates.

Jail Administrator Mark Westrum received a letter from Sagadahoc County Administrator Pam Corrigan telling him that Sagadahoc County will be recalculating their monthly payments to the jail.

Since Sagadahoc County’s assessment has dropped to $1.9 million they will be lowering their monthly payment.

According to Corrigan, Sagadahoc has paid $641,800 in the past four months, (July, August, September, and October). When those payments are deducted from the revised total jail assessment beginning in November, they will be paying $159,600 per month.

Lincoln County is being assessed at $233,600 monthly which is 59 percent of the operating budget. They are currently paying 57 percent of the operating budget which figures out to be $222,640 per month.

In the population report for the month of October, Lincoln County had 44.22 percent of the inmates, and Sagadahoc had 55.78 percent.

Westrum told the authority the state may open up two of the pods at the Warren State Prison that had been closed because of staffing. If that happens, the state will be taking back their prisoners, he said. This would mean freeing up beds in the jail for more inmates from counties like Knox, Kennebec, and Penobscot.

Sheriff Todd Brackett told the authority the 2010-2011 corrections budget is about $3.2 million over last year, and the Board of Corrections is looking at a $6.7 million shortfall in the budget.

Westrum’s budget for the jail has a three percent increase for the staff across the board.

Brackett said, "The Board of Corrections does not want to talk any pay raises unless they are contractual."

Authority member Katharine Martin-Savage said, "We may not have a contractual obligation, but we have a moral contract to insure that we are fair and equitable to all employees, union or not."

Authority member Dan Billings said, "When pay increases are given to union employees, and not to the non-union employees, you are telling the non-union members to join a union."

The consensus among the authority members was to go forward with the three-percent increases and see what happens when it is reviewed by the Board of Corrections.

In other business the authority selected members to serve on the nominating committee. The new slate of officers will be presented at the December meeting. The new officers will take their seats on the board at the January meeting.