BRISTOL — One look back and another look forward to the town’s incorporation as a village punctuated Bristol’s annual meeting Tuesday night.

About 25 people gathered for the meeting at the Town Hall. The meeting lasted about an hour and featured reports on the town’s finances, as well as annual summaries from the town’s major departments.

A hearing is set for May 15, when a circuit court judge is set to review the town’s petition to incorporate as a village. Chairman Rich Gossling said the hearing would be the town’s first step toward finalizing the change.

Town officials resubmitted plans for the proposed incorporation after the state rejected an earlier application in January. State officials rejected the plan because the proposed area for the village was too large and did not meet criteria for compactness and homogeneity. However, officials encouraged local leaders to reapply, focusing on a smaller area known as Bristol Hamlet.

If the court approves the new plan, the proposal would again go to the state.

Much of the rest of the annual meeting focused on how the town has fared during the nation’s ongoing financial crisis. Like so many municipalities in 2008, Bristol was not immune to the downward pressure of the souring economy.

Impact fee collections were down. Housing permit applications fell. And the town’s fund balance decreased for the first time since 2004, although that was primarily because money was finally released for planned reconstruction of Cherry Vista, town officials said.

A total of $544,427 remained in the general fund at year’s end, down from about $926,000 the year before.

The recycling program made money, growing its fund by about $35,000.

The recycling center at 8101 95th Ave. collected about 238 pounds of recycling per person last year in the town, compared to 230 pounds in 2007.

The average statewide is about 128 pounds per person, putting Bristol among the top recyclers in the state, Town Administrator Randy Kerkman said.

Town leaders also updated residents on spending within the fire department, which included a $40,000 grant to replace equipment, as well as the public safety officer’s continued efforts to work with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputy assigned to the town.

The Progress Days committee also announced the 2009 theme, “Progress Days: Cheers for 40 Years,” celebrating the festival’s 40th anniversary.

A carnival will return this year, after a last-minute cancellation for the 2008 festival. The Progress Days banquet is set for July 10, when Miss Bristol will be crowned and the outstanding citizen will be recognized.