SKOWHEGAN — Voters spent four hours Monday night debating annual spending and other town business, ultimately approving a budget that totals just less than $19 million, a higher amount than what town officials recommended in budget materials.

Skowhegan voters agreed to hire two additional police officers, after reviewing a proposal to hire three officers, which was presented separately from the Board of Selectmen’s overall budget proposal in financial materials given to voters.

Town voters also decided to award full funding requests from some local organizations despite recommendations from the Board of Selectmen and Budget & Finance Committee for lesser amounts.

The 2025-26 municipal spending plan approved at Monday’s town meeting, which at its start drew nearly 200 residents to the Skowhegan Opera House, totals $18,991,318.

That figure marks a 7.38% increase over the budget approved in 2024, according to town financial documents.

The selectmen had recommended a total budget — not including the proposal to hire three more police officers — of about $18.62 million, marking a 5.28% increase, budget figures show. The Budget Committee recommended a slightly leaner budget, with a 4.54% increase, not including the proposal for additional police officers.

With the full proposed cost of the three new officers at $376,258 factored into the total, the select board’s budget proposal was up 7.41% over 2024-25.

The 2025 property tax rate has not yet been set. Compared to the 2024-25 budget year, Skowhegan’s share of the Maine School Administrative District 54 budget is set to increase just less than 1%, assuming voters approve the district’s budget in a referendum vote Tuesday. The town’s share of the Somerset County budget is set to decrease by about 10%.

Police Chief David Bucknam said he suggested the idea of hiring three more officers because his department is “drowning” with work.

His proposal called for a staff sergeant to oversee the Police Department’s patrol division, a third detective position and a community resource officer. The positions would have brought the total officer headcount from 19 to 22, according to Bucknam.

“We need some help here,” Bucknam said. “And I get it. I understand what everybody’s looking at on this budget. I’m trying to tell you what it is I need to continue to provide you with the same type of service that you’re receiving right now.”

Resident Harvey Austin questioned the need to add the expense.

“Enough is enough,” Austin said. “This budget, it looks pretty good other than this. If we could cut this out, I think the budget would be in damn good shape and we could all go home feeling good about it.”

Austin also asked Bucknam why he cannot work more cooperatively with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Dale Lancaster, as Skowhegan taxpayers fund that agency as well.

“My relationship with the sheriff has absolutely nothing to do with the protection I provide this town,” Bucknam responded. “He has deputies that surround the entire county, except for Fairfield, Pittsfield and Skowhegan … He has the rest of the county that he needs to worry about. And there’s a lot going on in our county, and those deputies are busy.”

Randy Gray, a Skowhegan resident who worked for the town for decades, amended the motion to two officers at two-thirds of the cost proposed, $251,000. Voters ultimately approved Gray’s motion to amend 106-53, and then by majority approved the two-officer proposal.

Bucknam said the two new positions will be the detective and the community resource officer, who will help address issues with crime and homelessness in the downtown area.

Select board Chair Paul York and member Whitney Cunliffe said they think the new officers should be dedicated to patrolling the town.

“I’ve gone around downtown quite a bit, and I’ve spoken with a lot of people,” Cunliffe said. “There are a lot of people who have lived their whole lives here, and they feel less safe than they ever have.”

The other articles for which voters differed from the select board recommendations were funds for local organizations. Groups can get articles on the warrant by collecting information and submitting financial and other information to the town.

With no discussion, voters approved $208,o00 for the Skowhegan Free Public Library, $15,000 for the Coburn Park Commission, $15,000 for the Skowhegan History House, $15,000 for KVCAP Transportation Services and $9,228 for Spectrum Generations.

The select board and Budget Committee had recommended lesser amounts for those organizations, in some cases $0. The board and committee did recommend full funding for other organizations with requests on the warrant.

Christian Savage, chair of the Budget Committee, said officials looked for areas to make cuts when an initial proposed budget reflected an overall 11% increase.

“The Budget Committee’s general consensus was flat fund the requests from last year,” Savage told voters.

A $50,000 request from Lights Up Productions, modified at town meeting to $40,000, prompted a lengthier discussion among officials and voters.

The nonprofit is about one year into a three-year lease to operate and renovate the Skowhegan Opera House, a 115-year-old venue with 840 seats.

The organization is set to pay $1 per year to the town in rent for the space. Per the terms of the lease, Lights Up Productions must complete $100,000 of work on the opera house during the three-year period or it will not be eligible to renew the agreement.

Lyn Govoni, president of Lights Up Productions, said Monday night the requested funds would be used toward hiring an executive director. Currently, the nonprofit is run by volunteer board members, Govoni said.

Two other organizations received lower amounts than requested: Lake George Regional Park and the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Lake George director Darryll White told voters that his organization needed only $19,000 of the $23,000 requested and subsequently was successful in amending the amount in that article.

Voters funded only $25,000 of the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce’s $35,000 request.

Residents questioned how the chamber’s efforts differ from Main Street Skowhegan, whose $83,000 funding request was approved, and why other towns in the Skowhegan region do not support the organization with tax dollars. An initial motion to amend the amount to $10,000 failed by a close vote of 36 in favor, 45 against.

Nobody from the chamber answered questions during the discussion.

For town departments, major spending approved includes $2.81 million for general government, $2.75 million for police, $2.34 million for public works, $1.62 million for fire, $1.28 million for solid waste disposal and recycling, $994,000 for wastewater and pollution control and $768,000 for recreation.

Appropriations for capital reserve funds totaled $1.90 million for debt payments and $4.72 million for projects ranging from sewer collection system upgrades to annual paving work and replacement plans for a police cruiser and fire truck.

Voters on Monday also discussed at length a largely procedural article that authorizes “the Board of Selectmen to transfer an amount not to exceed 1% of the total town budget between budget categories as they deem advisable to meet unanticipated expenses and emergencies that occur during fiscal year 2026.”

Many questioned whether the select board’s decision in April to redesignate some capital reserve funds to be used toward a baseball field construction project complied with the article, which is included on the town meeting warrant each year. Some suggested changing the wording, although an amendment to do so failed, and the article was passed as written.

Voters who stuck through the end of the four-hour meeting agreed to repeal the ordinances for victualer’s licenses and public carriages, replace the Sign Ordinance with language closer to state statute and adopt a Fire Plan Review Ordinance.

They also accepted an easement from New Balance Athletic Co. to enhance the storm drainage system under Prescelly Drive and over and under the New Balance property on Walnut Street.