MEXICO — Public hearings Wednesday night on two referendum issues attracted 16 people. A few vented anger and displeasure at selectmen on a proposed $2.9 million road bond.

The issues, which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, ask voters if they want to authorize selectmen to sell the former SAD 43 superintendent’s office next to the Mexico Recreation Center on Parker Street, and if they will OK a capital improvement project to borrow up to $2.9 million to reconstruct several town roads in the next three to five years.

There was little discussion on the building issue other than Selectman Chairman Barbara Laramee’s jest to sell the building by holding “the biggest raffle you ever saw in your life.”

Town Manager John Madigan added more levity.

“You could sell it for $2.9 million and use that money for the roads,” he said.

To which, resident Betty Barrett replied, “That’s the only way you’ll get my vote.”

Barrett said it wouldn’t do any harm to put the building up for sale.

Madigan said it costs the town $4,000 just to keep the building as part of the town’s assets.

The school district no longer needed the office because its administration is now housed in Dixfield after SAD 44 merged with neighboring former SAD 21 in Dixfield and Peru and SAD 39 in Buckfield to form the Western Foothills School District.

The hearing on the road bond lasted more than 90 minutes.

Madigan opened it by reading from a letter sent to Mexico taxpayers this month that both details the board’s reasoning to borrow money and provides estimated costs to fix 12 streets.

Roads in the worst condition would be fixed first. Each project would be engineered and bid to complete the work required in the most cost effective way.

During the last five years, Mexico has raised $355,000 for road construction, to which has been added between $27,000 and $28,500 in annual state transportation funding.

“At this rate of funding most road projects will be deferred for many years into the future and will likely cost more money to complete,” Madigan said.

That’s why selectmen authorized putting the $2.9 million road bond referendum question before voters.

But Barrett, businessman Andy Dupuis, and Finance Committee Chairman Byron Ouellette convincingly argued against the road bond.

All three blamed selectmen for creating the problem in the first place by not budgeting enough money to maintain the roads when seeking town meeting approval.

“The economy is in recession and people are losing their jobs,” Dupuis said. “We can’t do this. You have to wait until the good times come back and this is feasible.”

Barrett said she is a senior citizen on a fixed income that’s getting reduced by Social Security to the point where she can’t afford her taxes.

“I think you selectmen are asking us townspeople for an awful lot more than we can condone,” she said. “It’s an insult to the townspeople when we can’t even pay our own taxes.”

“I think when you did this, it was completely wrong,” Barrett said. “I hope the voters have the guts to say ‘No.'”

“You would rather spend money for things that aren’t necessary, and we have to drive on crappy roads,” Ouellette said.

After more discussion, a seemingly frustrated Madigan said, “Yeah, we’re talking $2.9 million, and it’s scary, but it’s only five miles of our 29 miles of roads.”

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During Wednesday night’s public hearings on two Nov. 3 referendum issues, Mexico Town Manager John Madigan, right, answers a resident’s question about a proposed capital improvement project to borrow up to $2.9 million to reconstructat five miles of the town’s 29 miles of roads. Listening from left are Selectmen George Byam, Richie Philbrick and board Chairman Barbara Laramee.

At Wednesday night’s public hearings on two Nov. 3 referendum issues, Mexico resident Betty Barrett, left, listens as resident Kent Mann tells Mexico selectmen and Town Manager John Madigan what he thinks the town should do to start fixing its 29 miles of roads rather than seeking voter approval to borrow up to $2.9 million to reconstruct five miles of roads (12 streets) over a multi-year span.