Wiscasset voters will be asked to approve municipal and school budgets when they go to the polls Tuesday, June 14. The polls at the community center will be open from 8 a.m to 8 p.m.; absentee ballots are available until close of the town office Thursday, June 9.

Town Manager Marian Anderson said the selectmen’s 2016-17 operational budget is $6.42 million, up 6.4 percent over last year. The proposed $8.9 million school budget is 6.32 percent higher.

Included within the town budget is the first $228,234 payment towards a $2 million bond to cover the cost of Wiscasset withdrawing from RSU 12. Selectmen financed the bond over 10 years. Wiscasset’s county tax commitment rose $15,892 over last year to $545,654.

Voters are being asked to pay more for their emergency services in the 2016-17 budget. The biggest increase is for the ambulance department, although the police and fire department budgets are higher as well. Selectmen are recommending a $478,250 budget for the ambulance service, up 67 percent from last year. The increase will be to provide the town with 24/7 coverage.

EMS Director Toby Martin estimates the ambulance service could generate as much as $300,000 in revenues this year. Martin became Wiscasset’s EMS director April 4.

“I think it’s reasonable to expect the ambulance department’s revenues will increase,” Anderson told the newspaper.

According to the town office, since January the ambulance service has responded to 331 calls and generated $173,997 in revenues. The department operates on the calendar year, not the town’s fiscal year that starts July 1 and ends June 30.

Martin said the ambulance service responded to 89 calls during the month of May alone; 13 of those were back-to-back calls. Wiscasset EMS handled all but one response, he added. He told the newspaper Friday, reaching $300,000 in revenues is a very realistic goal. Martin recently announced plans for launching an ambulance subscription service that will allow residents to pay an annual fee to cover charges not paid by their medical insurance.

The ambulance budget includes hiring two EMS providers at the paramedic level and one additional staff member from May 1 to August 31, the service’s busiest time of year.

According to the town report, the ambulance department responded to 738 calls last year, 496 within Wiscasset. The department took in $259,452 in revenues. Two years ago the department took in $232,000. 

The police department’s $379,926 budget is $37,116 more than last year. Anderson said the increase is to cover a two percent negotiated salary increase for full-time officers and the result of higher workman’s comp, property and casualty insurances.

A separate article seeks $30,000 to cover the costs of purchasing a police cruiser. The money will be used to pay the balance needed to replace the cruiser totaled in an April accident. Due to the vehicle’s age, the town only received $9,000 from the insurance company.

Voters will decide whether to raise $45,677 to continue funding a school resource officer. The SRO works 42 weeks for the school department and 10 weeks as a patrol officer. Selectmen voted 3-2 to support the article; the budget committee supported it as well, also by a 3-2 vote, with one member abstaining.

Fire Chief T. J. Merry submitted a budget of $137,173, an increase of $27,537. Additional monies are sought to pay firefighters for training and add supplemental health insurance. The fire chief also wants to purchase four sets of turnout gear. A separate article asks voters to appropriate $28,203 from Capital Reserve to purchase a new “Jaws of Life” extrication unit for the fire department.

The budget for the transfer station increased $33,143 to $555,873. The town manager said higher tipping fees, equipment leases and insurances account for the increase. The transfer station generated $256,802 in revenues.

The treatment plant’s budget of $458,695 rose $10,611 again due to higher workman’s comp and insurance costs. The treatment plant’s budget was offset by $443,498 received from sewer revenues and user fees.

Not all department budgets are up. The parks and recreation budget of $723,263 is $19,410 less than last year. The department including the community center took in $431,493 in revenues.

The public works budget of $679,944 dropped $53 from last year. Voters are asked to take $30,000 from Capital Reserve for the lease/purchase of a backhoe replacing one bought in 1996.

The amount sought for operation of the airport is the same as last year, $283,175. The airport took in $245,739 in revenues.

“I think the board of selectmen has worked very hard to present a budget that is fiscally responsible,” Anderson commented. “All of the department heads understood the board’s concerns and have done a good job at controlling their costs in so far as they can.”

Anderson said she won’t know what the impact of this year’s budgets will be on property taxes until after the election.