At least seven social service agencies want to be added to Mexico’s town meeting warrant.
By Eileen M. Adams
Staff Writer

MEXICO – Residents will soon have a chance to decide whether several social service agencies’ funding requests should be placed on the annual town meeting warrant.

Seven agencies, which were denied a chance to get on the warrant by selectmen earlier this month, plan to begin circulating a petition later this week asking to be on the warrant.

River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition coordinator Patrica Duguay said Seniors Plus, Community Concepts, Androscoggin Home Health and Hospice, Western Maine Transportation, Abused Women’s Advocacy Project and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Oxford County will join her group in circulating the petition. Others may decide to join the effort before the end of the week, when the petition will begin circulating.

Selectmen and the town’s Budget Committee turned down most social service agency and special funding requests at an April 1 meeting. They said it was an effort to keep next year’s municipal budget at the same level as this year’s.

Only special items related to economic development were approved to go before voters at the June 9 annual town meeting.

Some of the social service agency representatives objected because they didn’t have a chance to make their case. And some believe that townspeople should decide whether tax money should go to their organizations.

Residents cannot raise money for any item if it is not listed on the town warrant.

Duguay said the petition’s wording will list the total funding request, expected to be between $4,500 and $5,000, and each of the agency’s names.

Signatures of at least 106 registered Mexico voters would have to be gathered to put their requests on the warrant. That figure is 10 percent of the voters who cast ballots in the last gubernatorial election.

Duguay said the importance of receiving funding surpasses the funding itself, at least for her organization. That’s because some funding sources require community support as part of the criteria for providing grant money, she said.

“We’re all very sensitive to the town’s budget woes. We’re experiencing it ourselves. Some agencies are already getting hard hit by the state,” she said.

In addition to slashing social service agency requests, the town reduced the proposed municipal budget by nearly $100,000 through cuts in various town departments. As it stands now, voters at the annual town meeting will make decisions on a proposed $1.5 million municipal budget, down about $100,000 from the current year. The current operating budget, together with the town’s share of the county tax and the school tax called for a $30.80 per $1,000 valuation tax rate.

Petitions must be returned to the Mexico Town Office by May 16.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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