I see the way Mexico ended up with a $200,000 surplus differently from the editorial in the Sun Journal July 15. I see no great expertise from the governing body in accomplishing that.

Imagine that you receive a “gift” to be shared with your siblings.

Instead, you pay all your outstanding debts with that money and set a little aside for your future, and your siblings end up with nothing.

That is what happened in Mexico. Two years ago, thanks to LD 1, the state paid a much larger contribution to the school and saved Mexico about $400,000. The year after, the state’s contribution was even higher. This money was supposed to become property tax relief for the Mexico citizens, who were paying half their taxes for the school system.

Because the town was in debt and most of the accounts were overdrafted at the end of FY 2004, the selectmen and the town manager used this “gift” from the state to pay debts, fill the reserves and re-establish the surplus that had been completely depleted by the end of 2004. They also used the money to fund all services at their maximum capacity, rather than trying to see how the town could be more frugal.

Luckily, they were saved by the largesse of the state.

Marjorie Richard, Mexico