Woolwich voters will consider a $1.5 million budget when they meet for their annual town meeting Saturday, May 7. The meeting will be called to order at 9 a.m. at the elementary school on Nequasset Road.

David King Sr., selectmen’s chairman, said voters would be asked to raise $7,305 less than last year, adding, the decrease in the municipal budget is mostly due to a drop in the cost of the trash contract. Selectmen are seeking $190,120 for weekly curbside trash and bi-weekly recycling pickup. The 2015 appropriation was $230,550.

On March 28, selectmen accepted a bid from Riverside Disposal of Chelsea contingent on voter approval of the article at town meeting. Under the one-year agreement, the town has the option of renewing the contract for another two years. Rubbish and recyclables will be processed by EcoMaine in Portland.

Pay-per-bag reconsidered

Voters will consider returning pay-per-bag which requires residents to pay for non-recyclable trash. The article, inserted by petition, would charge $2 for a 30-gallon trash bag and $1 for a 15-gallon bag. It further authorizes selectmen to enter into a contract with a company to administer the program. Selectmen amended the article’s wording that would have required a one-year agreement with the company hired to administer the program.

King told the newspaper he’s not taking sides on the issue. “I do think town meeting is the place for the Pay-As-You-Throw to be decided. It gives people the opportunity to hear both sides of the argument and allows them to make an informed decision,” he said.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected PAYT at the polls last November. If they agree to return PAYT, it solves the problem of what to do with the thousands of orange plastic trash bags left over when the program ended in January. The bags are in storage in the basement of the town office.

King said selectmen plan to have ballots on hand should a request be made for a written PAYT vote. Ballot clerks will also be there to help tally the voting.

Library, fire department funding requests

The Patten Free Library in Bath is requesting an appropriation of $52,224, a three-percent increase over 2015. Last year voters approved the library’s request by a two-to-one margin, 168 to 76 in a ballot vote.

No increase is requested for town officer salaries, although voters will be asked to increase the stipend paid to the fire chief and officers of the fire department. These include raising the fire chief’s stipend from $7,284 to $11,500 and the two assistant chiefs from $2,050 to $3,000. The stipend for fire captain would rise from $1,281 to $2,000 and lieutenant from $640 to $1,000. King said fire officers are also paid for responding to calls and training.

The 2016 EMS appropriation is $44,000, the same as last year.

Selectmen included an article seeking $10,000 to cover the costs of temporary administrative help at the town office. King said both the town administrator and town clerk are considering retirement. The money would cover training for both positions.

Voters will be asked to raise $3,700 to cover the cost of surveying and engineering needed to make Nequasset Park and swimming area ADA-compliant.

Selectmen reduced monies sought from community donations from $22,502 to $15,602, although $3,500 from that line is earmarked for combining the town’s junior athletics program and special events committees with the rec committee. If the change is approved it will boost the recreation appropriation to $10,500 for the initial year of the change.

Although town spending is down on the municipal side, King said Woolwich’s share of the RSU 1 budget is anticipated to rise by $140,000.

“We could be looking at a property tax increase this year because of the expected increase in the RSU budget,” he explained.

The vote on the 2016-17 school budget will be held in June.

Town meeting workshop April 19

Before their regular meeting Tuesday, April 19, selectmen will meet for a 5 p.m. workshop with the town clerk, ballot clerks and moderator to discuss ways to ease the process of voting at this year’s town meeting. One change will be the addition of portable microphones for the audience to use. Selectmen also plan to have plenty of ballots available should ballot votes be requested.

This will be the first time in 23 years that Woolwich has held its annual town meeting on a Saturday. The last time was in May 1993. A review of the town records revealed 114 voters were present for the start of the meeting, although towards the end the attendance had dwindled to about half that number.

“One reason we started holding our town meeting on Wednesday night was to try to get more people to attend,” King explained. “The problem with holding it on a Saturday is if it’s a nice day people won’t come.” For the record, that 1993 meeting started at 9 a.m. and adjourned at 2:43 p.m.

Selectmen decided to return town meeting to Saturday in response to a straw poll taken at the general election.