MONMOUTH — Candidates for Board of Selectmen talked money at a candidate’s forum Monday night, weighing in on spending issues before voters at the upcoming annual town meeting.

Six candidates are seeking the two seats up for election June 9. The top two vote-getters out of incumbent Douglas Ludewig and challengers Stacy Martin, Brian Wood, Kevin Smith, Darlene Sanborn and Sharon Wing will take the spots.

As a crowd of about 40 residents looked on in the theater at historic Cumston Hall, five candidates mostly sparred on spending, especially on a contentious issue that’s also going to voters at the polls — whether to spend town funds restoring the 1856 Monmouth Academy building.

A proposal on the town meeting warrant asks voters to use $187,500 as matching funds for up to $750,000 in federal or state grants to complete the project. If grant funding is not awarded, the funds would go into the town’s unassigned fund balance.

Ludewig, current board chairman who is seeking to retain his seat, said he was one of the three selectmen to vote to put that question before voters at town meeting. He said he did so because he wanted the people of the town to have a chance to vote on it.

The retired teacher said personally he’d vote in favor of continuing renovation efforts on the former school building. It could be used for many different things, he said, noting that while some of those things may bring in revenue, it wouldn’t be enough to cover the costs of owning and maintaining the building.

Smith, who has not previously sought or served in an elected position, said he loves history but preserving history is not the town’s job and noted that a couple of years ago residents turned down a proposal seeking more funds to finish the renovations of the 1856 building. He suggested a nonprofit group could take on the project instead of the town.

Wood, who said he’s running for the board because he’s concerned the town is becoming increasingly unaffordable, said he strongly opposes more town money going into the historic academy building. He said the town has already put about $1 million into it, and it’s still not done.

Martin said she’s gone back and forth on the 1856 building issue, noting the $1 million the town has already spent, so it’s hard to put more into it, but it also would be hard to sell it, likely for far less than $1 million.

She now thinks the proposal should be tabled, and reconsidered after residents are provided with more information to make their decisions.

Sanborn, a Monmouth Academy graduate, said she supports the proposal for funding work on the building because she believes the town should support and preserve things that are meaningful to the community.

Sanborn, born and raised in Monmouth, said her family goes back five generations in town and shaped who she is and why she cares so deeply for the community and its future. She previously served on the board from 2012 to 2019, when she had to leave Maine for her work. She returned when she retired and has served as chairwoman of the Monmouth Age-Friendly Committee and secretary of the Recreation Committee.

Martin has lived in Monmouth for 13 years and serves on both a town and state Republican committee. She said her goal in running for the board is to help bring the community together, and she would also work to increase transparency by finding ways for the board to communicate better with residents.

Wood moved to Monmouth about 10 years ago and said everything was affordable and fantastic then, but living in town has since become more and more unaffordable. He said he’s run multi-million-dollar budgets in a substance abuse agency he and his wife own, giving him budgeting experience.

Smith said he’s running because he’s trying to raise a family in Monmouth, but he’s worried with costs going up that the town’s finances won’t be sustainable and his children may not be able to afford to stay when they’re adults. He said the town is spending too much on nice services, such as recreation, and needs to focus more on basics like plowing the roads.

Ludewig, who moved years ago to Monmouth from New Jersey, started teaching in Monmouth in 1965 and said he’s served numerous roles since then, including as a reserve police officer, emergency medical technician, and on boards and committees. He said he just hopes to continue serving the community as best as he can.

Wing, who is also one of the six candidates on the ballot for selectmen, did not attend the forum.

Residents will both elect new local officials and vote by secret ballot as part of the June 9 primary election on the entire annual town meeting warrant and on the Regional School Unit 2 proposed school budget. Voting is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 117 Academy Road.

The warrant includes spending items that together make up the town’s proposed $9.1 million town budget.

Voters will also be asked if they approve of a proposal to merge the police department with Winthrop police. The neighboring towns already share a police chief and officers back each other up on calls.