MEXICO — A public hearing on the 2015-16 municipal budget is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, at the Town Hall.
Selectmen recommend a $3.05 million spending plan, which is $14,280 more than this fiscal year, Town Manager John Madigan said.
Compared to 2014-15, the town’s Regional School Unit 10 assessment is down $26,334 and the Oxford County assessment is down $4,410.
Voters will cast ballots on the budget Tuesday, June 9, at the Town Hall.
Madigan said the biggest increases are Med-Care ambulance services at $13,000, because the per capita charge went from $18 to $24, and hydrant rental at $19,000.
“That’s a $32,000 increase,” he said. “That’s two items we had no control over. I did all I could do to come in with a reasonable budget.”
Madigan said debt service is up $71,000, but “it’s actually down because we decided when we borrowed the $800,000 to continue the road work, we reduced the amount of road reserve money by $75,000 to pay the debt. The public works road reserve budget is down $75,000 because that money was added to the debt service budget to be available to make the payments on the $800,000 bond. So the net change to the budget is zero.”
The total recreation budget is down $8,158. The cost for the rec building is down $7,900 by switching around the help, but the rec park and program budget is up by around $9,000. The reserve account is down $10,000.
Public Safety is up $23,747, including $6,000 for street lights.
The unclassified account is down $4,500 because selectmen voted not to fund the River Valley Growth Council and the River Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Madigan said the total Public Works budget is down $72,800 and solid waste is down $1,780.
He said general insurance went up $6,500, but the total administration budget is down $5,173.90.
Outside requests approved by selectmen went down $250, to $2,200.
Madigan said state revenue sharing should stay the same.
bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net
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