Westport Island voters will gather in the historic town hall Saturday, June 23, for their annual town meeting, beginning at 9 a.m. with 40 articles to be decided upon.

According to First Selectman George Richardson, should the voters approve all the articles on the warrant there would be an increase of $109, 000 over last year's town total budget. That includes about $35,000 in the municipal budget, with $27,000 of that the payment on the town's new fire truck, and just over $57,000 increase in the Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit's assessment for Westport Island.

This year there are no significant differences in the recommendations of the selectmen and the budget committee, and there don't appear to be any controversial articles on the warrant. But, one can never tell what will create controversy in a town meeting.

The selectmen remained neutral on the request of Road Commissioner Garry Cromwell to raise $100,000 for maintenance of town roads and bridges; the budget committee is recommending $85,000 instead. It will be up to voters which recommendation they want to accept.

The budget committee is not recommending $4,500 to upgrade the lighting at the town hall being proposed by the Town Hall Committee. The selectmen also remained neutral on this question.

The selectmen and budget committee are recommending a 1.75 percent increase in town officers' salaries, which would represent an increase of $60 more per year for the three selectmen. Last year Westport Island raised $67,578 for town officers' salaries, this year the selectmen are recommending $68,759, an increase of $1,181.

The budget committee and selectmen are recommending a proposed ordinance amendment in the town budget committee ordinance that addresses the filling of vacant positions that occur between elections.

There is some good news to the taxpayers of Westport Island, according to Richardson. There is a $5,000 decrease in county taxes, a decrease of just under $5,000 in the town office operation and maintenance of the town office; and a substantial decrease in service organizations request. The decrease in donations is due to the Wiscasset Library request from of a $9,200 request last year to a $5,153 request for the 2012-2013 year.

Other warrant articles relating to Wiscasset include: $71,064 be raised for Westport Island's share of the Wiscasset Transfer Station operating expenses; a $3,000 donation requested by the Wiscasset Ambulance Service; and $4,308, for resident status for Westport Island residents at the Wiscasset Community Center.

The first three articles on the warrant were voted on Tuesday, June 12: Daniel Bradford was elected as moderator to preside at the town meeting; They voted to accept the petition to withdraw from the RSU with 152 votes in favor and 70 opposed, Gerald Bodmer was elected second selectmen; David Bertran, and Lynn Rider were elected budget committee members, and Sandra Crehore was elected, as a write-in candidate, to serve on the Regional School Unit board Sheepscot Valley Regional School Unit school board member.

Westport Island Fire Department members will be on hand Saturday, during the town meeting offering coffee and doughnuts and light lunches to the voters.