MEXICO – Last week’s vote to reduce three municipal full-time jobs to part-time ones without benefits may not stand.

Selectmen said at a special meeting Monday afternoon that they will review all possible municipal cost reductions before making a final decision on the jobs or on any other cuts.

A special meeting to continue the review of several municipal departments has been set for 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6.

At its meeting last Wednesday, the board narrowly voted to reduce the full-time positions of librarian, municipal buildings custodian and recreation director to 25 hours per week. At that time, no time frame for making the change was set.

The need to find all possible reductions in the 2004-2005 budget was prompted by a deficit of about $300,000 discovered by the town’s auditor in a preliminary report last month. Board Chairman Arthur Bordeau said he is continuing to try to set up a meeting with Keel Hood, the town’s auditor from Fairfield, to discuss the final audit.

In the meantime, Town Manager Joseph Derouche expects to receive an opinion from the town’s attorney, Geoff Hole, on capital reserve funds that have been used to bolster the municipal cash flow.

About $197,000 of the deficit is from accounts set up and appropriated at town meetings for such things as police, highway and fire department equipment. The remainder is the result of overages in several department accounts, including recreation, the Wellness Center and Police Department overtime pay.

Bordeau said the exact amount of the deficit won’t be known until the final audit is presented.

Among the department budgets to be scrutinized next week are the highway, police, town office and assessor accounts.