Wiscasset selectmen Feb. 18 began review of a 2026-27 budget draft Town Manager Dennis Simmons said was up 1.7% from 2025-26.

In making the draft, Simmons said he tried to balance the town’s needs and the cost pressures people are under. “It’s hard for taxpayers right now. Everything is expensive … And so I tried to make this as lean a budget as I can, to not add to our taxpayers’ burdens.

“It is a very lean budget,” he reiterated to the board. “There’s not going to be a whole lot of room to cut anything here … We’re just trying to maintain the services that we can for this year and make sure that we’re giving people their money’s worth.”

Simmons pointed out to the board, the bond taken out several years ago for the town’s withdrawal from Regional School Unit 12 is now paid off; leasing police cruisers instead of buying them will keep money in capital  reserve, where it will make money; and and upping Wiscasset Ambulance Service's daytime staffing level on weekdays will help meet a rising call volume and lessen the need for mutual aid.

At least a call a week comes from the new senior living facility Islebrook Village on Gardiner Road, Wiscasset Ambulance Service Director Erin Bean said. Added Simmons, "Even without the senior living center, we've had an increase in calls and we're having to call mutual aid more frequently than we would like, not just from a cost point of view because we lose the revenue for those calls. It's (also) just poorer service if it takes longer for an ambulance to come from Woolwich or Damariscotta or Boothbay ..."

Simmons is asking more for ambulance repairs in the next budget, as the vehicles age and $9,500 was spent on one of them this budget year.

He said he didn't think a 2.7% increase for the ambulance department's budget is bad at all. "If I was Erin sitting in that chair right now, I'd be screaming 'I want more money. '"

"I trust you know what you're doing," she said smiling and drawing smiles from the board.

"Hey, it's worked out every year so far," Simmons said.

Bean announced the town's ambulance service is 50 this year. An anniversary celebration is planned in May at Scout Hall, now a training center and event venue following its makeover which Bean led. She asked selectmen to consider coming to the celebration. Vice Chair Pamela Dunning asked if there will be cake. Bean said she will make sure there is.

Budget talks were set to continue Feb. 24. Voters decide the budget in June.