MEXICO – The Wellness Center got a new lease on life Tuesday night when selectmen narrowly agreed to grant a new lease and to allow long-term payment of its debt to the town.

Selectmen voted 3-2, with Richie Philbrick, Reggie Arsenault and Barbara Laramee voting to give the center a chance to pay back the money owed, and Monique Aniel and Arthur Bordeau voting against the measure.

As approved, the Wellness Center will pay $600 a month to rent a space in the Mexico Recreation Center. That figure is just over $100 a month, required of tenants on the town’s per square-foot rate.

The extra money will go to pay down a debt to the town of about $10,000 accumulated over the past couple of years.

The town had originally wanted the center to pay back $27,000. But after a special meeting last week between the board and Wellness Center representatives, the selectmen agreed to apply about $15,000 in improvements made to the rooms used by the exercise and therapy program toward that debt. Another $2,000 in equipment now owned by the Wellness Center will become property of the town to make up more of the difference.

Town Manager Joseph Derouche said the Wellness Center can be asked to leave if rent isn’t paid for two consecutive months.

The new lease is retroactive to Nov. 1.