MEXICO — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday unanimously approved a bid for two new 16- by 14-foot overhead doors for the highway garage.
The board accepted the low offer of $6,230 from Lenny Bolduc Carpentry of Peru.
In other business:
• The board agreed with Selectman Andy Dupuis’ recommendation to send letters of appreciation to the Mexico ATV Riders, the Roxbury ATV Riders and to Gary DeRoehn for their recent roadside cleanup efforts, which included the area from the transfer station on Route 2, up Route 17 and a section of Route 120.
• Town Manager John Madigan said the town is right on target with the current budget, which is about 83 percent through the fiscal year and the town has expended 81 percent of the budget.
• The board appointed George Byam as election warden.
• Selectmen will go to their summer schedule, meeting the third Tuesday of the month from June through September.
Budget hearing
Prior to the meeting, a public hearing was held on the 2016-17 annual town budget with very little discussion and half a dozen people attending.
Voters will go to the polls June 14 to act on the budget $4.4 million, which is $23,108 less than this fiscal year.
Selectman Byron Ouellette commended Madigan for the spending plan.
Noting the work that selectmen have put in over the years to keep budgets “under control,” he said, “there are things we can’t control, such as insurances.”
“This budget is pretty good, which is something for me to say that,” Ouellette said.
Madigan said salaries are up 1.5 percent and insurances are up 9 percent for an overall 3.76 percent increase in salaries and benefits. The insurance increase is mainly because three employees are switching from single to family coverage.
However, some of that increase has been offset by departments benefiting from lower fuel and heating costs.
Under the Debt Service account, there is a reduction of $106,938. Madigan said that’s because the town has paid off the first $500,000 bond for roads.
bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net
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