MEXICO — Residents will make decisions on the fate of the former SAD 43 central office building and the condition of town roads when they go to the polls in November.

Selectmen decided at their meeting Wednesday night to ask townspeople whether they want to sell the two-story, nearly 12,000-square-foot building that up until June 30 had served as the central offices for the former SAD 43. At that time, SAD 43 joined with nearby SAD 21 in Dixfield and SAD 39 in Buckfield, to form the Western Foothills School District and moved to offices in Dixfield, and Mexico residents voted to accept the building.

The board has been tossing around ideas for use of the c. 1960 former classroom building for several months, including one that would move the town offices on Main Street into that building. They also checked with area organizations that were looking for new sites. None have said they wanted to rent or purchase it.

The town’s insurance company values the building at $1.2 million. Town Manager John Madigan told board members that costs for insuring the building would be almost $3,000 annually if occupied, and more if the building remains vacant.

Selectmen also decided to ask residents whether they would allow the town of take out a bond of up to $2.9 million that would be used over three or four years to begin to rebuild or repair some of the town’s 29.8 miles of roads.

“We can’t keep putting $50,000 to $75,000 a year toward them. We’ve been trying for years to put money away. We’ve got to get these roads done,” Selectman Reggie Arsenault said. “But it will be up to the people.”

The bond amount would not pay for all work that is required because so little has been done over the years. But it would be a start.

“We’ll prioritize the list,” Madigan said.

If voters approve the bond, details on the amount of interest and number of years for payback would be worked out. Also, Madigan said funds would be borrowed under the bond as needed rather than all at once, which he said would also lower the payback amount.

A public hearing on both local referendum questions will be held 7 to10 days prior to the Nov. 3 election.

Prior to the regular selectmen’s meeting, a majority of the two dozen or so people who attended a special town meeting approved using $100,000 from the town’s surplus funds toward the 2009-10 tax commitment. One mill is valued at about $127,000, Madigan said.

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