MEXICO – If residents approve all 29 articles at Monday’s town meeting, the municipal operating budget for 2003-04 will come in about $93,000 less than last year.

The annual event begins at 7 p.m. in the Mexico Recreation Center.

Town Manager Joseph Derouche said the proposed municipal budget, at $1.5 million, is extremely tight. Although all 25 full- and part-time municipal jobs will be retained, approved salary increases came in at only 1 percent.

Also cut this year is the planned 2004 spring clean-up. Funding was not placed in the various capital accounts, and budget requests were cut by 10 percent across the board.

“This is very belt-tightening,” said Derouche.

Several costs went up this year, including solid waste disposal from $134,000 to $143,000 and ambulance services from nearly $21,000 to almost $30,000. The accounts for summer and winter highways decreased several thousand dollars, as did costs for operating the police department

While health insurance premium costs stayed flat, because of a change in policies, workers compensation costs doubled.

Several requests by social service agencies, totaling $4,900, are on the warrant despite the board’s recommendation that they stay off. A petition drive forced the articles to appear, as did a similar drive by the town’s snowmobile club to get its request for $5,000 on the warrant.

Town officials are trying to reduce the current $30.80 mill rate. The municipal budget is only one part of the town’s overall tax liability. Also figuring into each tax bill are school taxes and county taxes.

In addition to the appropriation articles, residents will also decide whether to allow the $1 per all terrain vehicle agency fee paid to the town to be paid to the River Valley ATV Club instead.

The funding raised, expected to be between $200 and $300, must be used to maintain ATV trails that are open to the public.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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