MEXICO — In an attempt to reduce taxes, the Board of Selectmen will send a letter to Regional School Unit 10 Superintendent Craig King and the school board asking them to cut the 2015-16 budget by 10 percent.
On Monday, selectmen approved the letter, prepared by Town Manager John Madigan. At the previous meeting, the board unanimously approved asking for the reduction.
Copies of the letter will also be sent to the other RSU 10 towns: Buckfield, Byron, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Hanover, Hartford, Peru, Roxbury, Rumford and Sumner.
At Tuesday evening’s meeting, Selectman Albert Aniel said, “In June, when it comes to the voters, we can say we all requested a 10 percent decrease in the school budget and they didn’t do it. Vote against the school budget.”
In other business at the abbreviated meeting, the lone bidder for the weekly garbage collection and biweekly recycling collection was Archie’s Inc. Madigan said this was the third three-year contract with the town that he could recall.
As in the past, the price for the first year is the same as the current year, with a 5 percent increase in each of the remaining two years.
The cost for the garbage collection is $45,310.21 the first year, $45,575.72 the second and $49,954.95 for the final year. For recycling collection, the cost is $14,000.99 in year one, $14,701.05 in year two and $15,436.09 for the final year.
The contract was unanimously approved.
“We hardly ever get any complaints. Every now and then, someone might call, but (it’s) very rare,” Madigan said.
Selectman Byron Ouellette said, “They’re pretty consistent on times because there’s times I’m running up the driveway with the garbage in my hand and the truck is going up the street.”
A new stove will be installed downstairs in the Town Hall on Thursday, according to Ouellette.
After attempting to purchase a comparable stove locally, Ouellette said he purchased the stove from Sears for $403, which includes a plug-in pigtail.
“I put it on my credit card and am going down Thursday to pick it up. I thought about donating it to the town, but it’s kind of a big donation. But I thought everybody could chip in a hundred dollars,” he said.
“Reggie (Arsenault) would have a nervous breakdown,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Richie Philbrick said.
“You got a hundred I could borrow?” Arsenault asked.
Aniel said he would donate his selectman’s check toward the stove. That $145.13 was matched by $155 in cash from board members for a total of $300.13.
At a previous meeting, it was noted the town has $650 in the kitchen replacement account.
GRAMPS prepares free weekly meals to the community here, with other groups renting out the hall during the year.
The next joint meeting with Rumford to discuss merging the police departments will take place at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in Rumford Falls Auditorium.
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