Town Meeting voters allocated an additional $3,000 to the Wareham Recycling Drop-off Center on Monday.

The volunteer Recycling Committee, which oversees the center's operations, asked Town Meeting voters to add $3,000 to its current budget of $5,000. Recycling Coordinator Marilyn Russell says the cost of running the center is approximately $11,000.

In addition to the funding it receives from the town, the center takes in additional funds through recycling redeemable bottles and cans, and from collecting fees for the disposal of items such as paint and tires. Russell said the additional $3,000 that the Recycling Committee did not ask for would likely be covered through those avenues.

This year, the town didn't fund Russell's $8,400 salary, as it anticipated receiving less in state aid. But in June, the town learned it would be receiving more aid that originally thought, which will cover the additional $3,000 that the Recycling Committee requested, said Interim Town Administrator Derek Sullivan.

"We do have a general idea of where we are," in terms of funding, Sullivan explained. "We can theoretically afford this.”

Former-Selectman Brenda Eckstrom argued that the town should not allocate more funding because the center is supposed to be self-sufficient, due to the money it raises through deposit money and fees.

The Finance Committee was also not in favor of increasing the budget.

“I know it’s only $3,000, but we’re heading into spring, and we know we’re going to come up with a million dollar deficit," Finance Committee Chair Donna Bronk explained. "It’s just pure economics."

Still, voters pointed out the service that the center provides for residents, and ultimately approved funds.

Selectman Cara Winslow noted: “If we choose to go the route of, ‘we don’t know what we have and we can’t afford everything,’ we’re going to have to vote down" every funding item at Town Meeting.