Woolwich voters will gather to consider a 2024-25 town budget of $2.6 million at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 in the elementary school on Nequasset Road. The first thing voters will hear when they enter the lobby will be live music performed by the Montsweagers, this year’s awardee of the community’s “Spirit of America” award. The 2024-25 budget for Regional School Unit 1, which Woolwich is a part of, will be voted on in June.

David King Sr., selectboard chairman, said the proposed town budget is up $6.64%, or $168,222, over last year. “The ambulance and fire department budgets are both a little higher than last year, and we increased the amount we’re asking for roads and bridges to be used predominately for paving and road maintenance.” King added the budget included “cost of living salary increases” for the office staff of 3.2%, based on the Consumer Price Index urban rate.

“Our workers compensation has gone up as well,” continued King. That line of the fire department budget rose $6,349, and increased $5,591 in the ambulance department budget. The selectboard increased the roads and bridges budget from $867,375 to $911,842. “We upped it to try to keep pace with the paving,” explained King. “We used to pave five miles of road every year, now we’re down to about two miles primarily due to the cost of hot top and labor.” A separate article asks voters to raise $40,000 for care and maintenance of the town’s roughly eight miles of unpaved roads.

King called it a responsible budget. “We looked at every expenditure with the property taxpayer in mind,” he said. No new big-ticket items appear within the budget.

The sum sought for curbside trash pickup and recycling with Riverside Disposal and EcoMaine for their services the coming fiscal year is $255,241, up $9,353. The fire department budget is $195,448 compared to $170,858 in 2023-24. The proposed ambulance budget is $389,880, up $29,036, although as noted on the warrant there’s a potential to bring in $120,000 in revenues to offset the cost of the service.

Town Administrator Kim Dalton told Wiscasset Newspaper, copies of this year’s annual town report will be available the second week of April. This year’s report is dedicated to the memory of longtime selectman Lloyd Coombs, who also served as Woolwich’s first town administrator. Mentioned in the selectboard’s annual message is the passing of Sherry Chadbourne, wife of longtime Selectman Dale Chadbourne. Sherry was a bus driver for the Woolwich school for 30 years and a former member of Woolwich Fire Department’s Ladies Auxiliary.