Municipal Profile
West Bath is located on the Maine coast between Brunswick and Bath. It is approximately 35 miles north of Portland on Route 1.
Crossing the New Meadows River, West Bath is the gateway to Sagadahoc County as you travel on Route 1 North from Brunswick. All areas of town can be reached from Route 1 (northbound or southbound) via the New Meadows Road exits.
HISTORY
During colonial times, West Bath, Bath, Arrowsic, Phippsburg, and Five Islands were referred to as The Parish of Georgetown. Just at the time when Greene was campaigning against Cornwallis in the Carolinas, the Parish petitioned to be made a Town and, in 1781, the Parish incorporated as Bath. West Bath separated and incorporated as a town on February 14, 1844. According to local lore, Bath and West Bath were separated because West Bath farmers objected to paying taxes for Bath's sidewalks when they were slogging around in the mud in West Bath. In 1847 Bath received a city charter. In 1854, Sagadahoc County was established , the City of Bath being the county seat.
TODAY
The current population of West Bath at last census was 1,910 year-round residents, with many more seasonal residents. The Town currently functions under a Select Board - Town Administrator - Town Meeting form of municipal government. It is a member of the Maine Municipal Association.
West Bath Town Hall Building Committee 1989. Back row left to right: Arthur J. Reno Sr., Willard McCabe, Lewis Atwood, Richard Coombs. Front: Courtney Stover, Kathleen Rogers.
Day-to-day operations of the Town and Town Office are overseen by the Town Administrator. Staff include the Tax Collector/Treasurer, Town Clerk/Registrar, and Code Enforcement Officer/Fire Chief. In addition to these are the Road Commissioner, Animal Control Officer, Harbor Master, and Health Officer, who do not hold office hours. All positions are appointed by the Select board. The Select Board and School Board are elected officials who hold staggered 3-year terms and are elected annually at Town Meeting.
The Town Office is located at 219 Fosters Point Road which was built in 1989. The Town operates an incorporated, volunteer fire department located at 192 State Road and is home to West Bath School, a Kindergarten through 5th grade elementary school. Most students in grades 6 through 12 attend Bath Middle School and Morse High School, also in Bath. West Bath is also home to West Bath District Court, a recycling transfer station operated by Pine Tree Waste, a bustling commercial district, and the best clam flats in the area.