Woolwich selectmen on April 20 finalized the warrant for the May 17 annual town meeting. Voters will have a choice of ambulance providers, and consider an article for providing broadband services and another regulating future solar projects.

“It’s the first time in almost three decades that I’ve been on the select board that we’ve finalizing our budget and signed the town meeting warrant on the same night,” commented Chairman David King Sr. after the board unanimously voted to accept the warrant. It will now go to the printer for publication in the annual  Town Report.

Early on King had predicted crafting a 2023-24 budget would be hard. The board initially planned to hold the town meeting in April but then chose to delay it a month. Among the last items the board approved was Article 40, a two-part question for funding EMS services. Voters must decide whether to continue with the town’s 24/7 ambulance service, or hire Bath Fire & Rescue as its primary ambulance provider.  

The sum of $360,844 is requested to continue having Woolwich EMS provide ambulance services, an increase of $71,056 from last year. As stated in the article, there is the potential to bring in $97,500 in revenues to offset the ambulance services’ operational costs. Payroll is the largest line of the EMS budget increasing from $183,000 to $236,925. A complete listing of Woolwich’s 2023-24 EMS budget as compared to last year appears in the Town Report.

The second part of the EMS article is to contract with the City of Bath for 24/7 ambulance services; the total sum of this option is $316,320. The select board based this figure on 320 ambulance calls at $485 per call ($155,200), with 25% in uncollectables at $860 per call ($68,000), and added an estimated 10%  in emergency calls requiring two ambulances  ($15,520). Included within the $316,320 is $77,600 for Woolwich first responders.

Article 30 continues the process of bringing broadband internet service to town. It authorizes the select board to work with Consolidated Communications in applying for Maine Connectivity Authority grant monies to fund town-wide construction of fiber-optic broadband internet services. As stated in the article, the service would be available to every Woolwich household. Approval obligates the town to pledge $225,000 in matching funds to be paid over two years. The article further authorizes $112,500 to be taken for the town’s undesignated fund balance for payment of the 2023-2024 matching funds if the grant is awarded.

The wording of the proposed solar ordinance had not yet been finalized.

This year’s town budget includes cost of living increases for the town administrator, town clerk, tax collector and codes enforcement officer. There is no proposed increase in the stipends paid to selectmen. “The raises we’re proposing are 6% and based on the Consumer Price Index Urban for New England,” said King. The CPIU considers inflationary increases in living expenses like groceries, household goods and fuel..

The fire department is requesting voters raise $170,858 for their 2023-2024 budget; last year’s request was $149,473. Two of the larger line increases in the fire budget were for workers’ compensation, up from $10,000 to $14,200. The fire chief budgeted a $3,000 increase for fire truck fuel, which rose from $5,000 to $8,000. Most of the other lines within the fire budget were the same as last year.       

The road commissioner is recommending $867,375 be raised for next year’s roads and bridges budget. That is $80,908 more than last year. Half of the increase is for hot topping;  more money was also budgeted for snowplowing. A separate article seeks $40,000 for repairs and maintenance on unpaved town roads, double what was raised last year. The extra monies for paving and repairs to unpaved roads came from savings realized in the planned property tax revaluation.

The sum of $245,888 is requested to continue weekly curbside trash pickup, and bi-weekly recycling collection with Riverside Disposal of Chelsea and EcoMaine of Portland. Last year’s appropriation was $240,226. Article 19 asks voters to raise and appropriate $63,231 for the continued financial support of Patten Free Library, $3,000 more than last year’s request.

Reached for comment by telephone, Selectman Dale Chadbourne said a great deal of work had gone into preparing the select board’s 2023-2024 budget. “No, not everyone got what they were asking for, the taxpayers simply can’t afford it. There was a good deal of compromising,” he said. Chadbourne who has been on the board for many years, hopes there will be more that the usual 100 or so voters at this year’s town meeting. “More people need to concern themselves with this and attend; there’s a number of important issues to be decided.”   

The town meeting will once again be held mid-week, on Wednesday evening in the gymnasium of Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road.