MEXICO – After debating whether or not to advertise to fill a police vacancy created when Patrolman Charles Beale resigned to take a job with neighboring Dixfield, selectmen decided Wednesday night to hire from within.

Reserve Officer Jason Taylor, who is also a part-time officer with Norway police and a full-time officer at the Oxford County Jail, was hired by a 3-0 vote.

Police Chief Jim Theriault started the lengthy discussion when he asked the board to appoint Taylor of Canton to fill Beale’s position, which becomes vacant as of Jan. 30.

Due to costs associated with getting officers trained at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, a Mexico resident asked the board to consider advertising for someone who already has the required training.

Taylor will fill Beale’s slot to get trained at the academy next January.

Selectman Arthur Bordeau then motioned to advertise for someone already trained at the academy, but, for a while, couldn’t get a second.

“What, there’s no one interested in saving the town money?” he asked fellow Selectmen George Byam, Peter Merrill and Chairwoman Barbara Laramee.

For the sake of starting discussion, Byam seconded the motion, then later proposed going along with Theriault’s desire to hire Taylor, but advertise for the next vacancy.

However, Merrill and Byam had to first defeat Bordeau’s motion, which they did when Laramee called for a vote, then Bordeau joined them in approving Byam’s motion.