Woolwich selectmen hope to keep the next municipal budget at or close to the $1.56 million voters approved last year. The board spent more than two hours reviewing accounts Monday with the town administrator Monday afternoon.

About a third of the 2018-19 budget was reviewed including monies sought for legal fees, contingency and operation of the town office. Among the accounts the board will revisit are office software, auditing and salaries for town employees. The board will also review proposed budgets by the fire chief and EMS directors.

Funding requests made from community organizations were at the same amounts as last year. These included $5,000 to support the Maine Maritime Museum’s Boat Building Program at the school, $1,500 for Woolwich Historical Society and $400 for the Nequasset Trailbreakers Snowmobile Club.

Other organizations seeking 2018-19 donations are: Bath-Brunswick Big Brothers/Big Sisters, $600, Bath Area Senior Citizens, $850, the Jesse Albert Dental Clinic, $2,500, New Hope for Women, $500, Sweetser $3,084, Midcoast Maine Community Action (CED) $1,400 and Tedford Housing, $700.

The board hasn’t received 2018-19 requests from the Bath YMCA, Bath Area Food Bank or Spectrum Generations. Select Board Chair David King Sr. said these groups would have until the next budget meeting to submit their requests to the town office.

Still to be determined are this year’s appropriation to Patten Free Library in Bath. Last year, voters agreed to $53,268. Also still to be budgeted are solid waste and recycling. Voters approved spending $190,872 last year, including $92,779 for weekly curbside trash pickup and $31,542 for bi-weekly recycling collection.

The proposed 2018-19 roads and bridges budget submitted by Road Commissioner Jack Shaw is $585,665 – a $1,472 increase over last year. Additional monies are needed to cover anticipated increases in street lighting and snow plowing costs.

Also still to be determined are the solid waste and recycling budget. Voters approved spending $190,872 last year, including $92,779 for weekly curbside trash pickup and $31,542 for bi-weekly recycling collection.

In the weeks ahead, selectmen will meet with the fire chief and EMS directors to review their proposed budgets. The board will hear a presentation by Patten Free Library on Monday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m.

The annual town meeting is Saturday, April 28 at Woolwich Central School.

The board has scheduled a special town meeting for 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the hearing room at the town office to seek approval to appropriate funds from the undesignated fund balance to cover overdrafts resulting from the Oct. 30 windstorm. These include monies for the fire department, highways and roads and the town’s heating account. John Chapman will moderate the meeting. The violent windstorm downed trees and power lines, causing emergency workers to work many extra hours.