With the closure of public meetings looming, Dresden selectmen on Thursday, April 2 solidified the 2021 budget set to go to voters at the annual town meeting Tuesday, June 9.

In a  budget workshop connected to the public by Zoom, the board set a cap of $18,000 on solid waste disposal. The board considered contracting with either Riverside Waste Disposal or Pine Tree Waste but  asked Town Administrator Michael Henderson to pin down a cost comparison between the two. “We need solid figures,” said Selectman Allan Moeller.

The board set aside $25,053 for a one-year contract with Wiscasset Ambulance Service. “We are assuming this will cover uncollectables,” said Selectman Gerald Lilly. The previous contract for $7,000 led to a dispute over whether Dresden would be charged for uncollectable fees from previous years, conceded Moeller. The board left it open whether or not other services may be asked to submit competitive bids. The 2020-21 contract is be due to signed in June.

Following an executive session, the board approved a $54,000 salary and benefits package for Henderson. 

Selectmen then met in an emergency session to vote on the total budget of $1,038,382. Other line items were approved at past board meetings. “We had several meetings with the Budget Review Committee,” said Moeller.

The proposal will go to the printers with a $59,439 municipal budget increase, said Henderson. “We do not know the RSU 2 budget yet.” He said no tax rate can be calculated until the school budget is approved.