ANDOVER - Voters at special town meetings in Andover and Mexico on Saturday authorized selectmen to renew a 10-year contract with Med-Care Ambulance Service. The current contract expired Saturday.

Approval was expected following Thursday's unanimous vote by Med-Care's Board of Directors to drop plans for a $1.7-million building expansion.

On Thursday night, Rumford selectmen unanimously OK'd the contract renewal.

Of the Mexico-based ambulance provider's 11 member towns, Andover initiated dissension in March by refusing to sign the new contract. Mexico followed suit in May and Rumford on June 2. A majority of voters from all three towns wanted the building project scrapped before they'd renew the contract.

Byron, Canton, Carthage, Dixfield, Hanover, Newry, Peru and Roxbury approved the contract before the building plan was dropped.

"We're all very happy that all the towns are staying together," Med-Care Board President Steve Brown said by phone Saturday.

He declined to elaborate on what would happen next.

In Andover, some residents wanted selectmen to terminate Fire Chief Ken Dixon as the town's Med-Care representative and appoint someone else.

That action would have to wait until the next selectmen meeting, Board Chairman Jeff Rainey said, urging interested people to apply at the Town Office.

At Mexico's meeting, resident Tim Kelcourse, who led the movement at a special town meeting in May to scrap the contract because of the building, reversed his stance.

"A lot of the taxpayers in Mexico did not want to get locked into a new building," Kelcourse said.

He recommended that Mexico officials keep in touch with Rumford officials and stressed the need for some town control written into the contract to prevent Mexico from getting locked into agreements.

Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Barbara Laramee said she felt the Med-Care board had operated "very adequately."

She said she believed there would have to be communication with Med-Care about a new building in the future. Many people in Andover, Mexico and Rumford agree that Med-Care has outgrown its current building.

After Mexico's special town meeting ended, a special Board of Selectmen meeting was convened to approve appointing Selectman Peter Merrill to fill a vacancy on the Med-Care board. Selectman George Byam was chosen as an alternate.