MEXICO — The town spent 95 percent of its budget for 2010-2011, and some of the leftover money will go to the recreation, police and highway departments, selectmen decided Tuesday night.

Town Manager John Madigan announced that the town appropriated $3,836,966.50 in the past fiscal year, spent $3,703,978.04 and had an unappropriated balance of $183,479.

Selectmen voted to take $11,404 of it for the three town departments.

Not overspending its budget shows the town is maintaining its financial stability, Administrative Assistant Sheryl Briggs said.

In other news from the meeting:

* The town’s Night of Appreciation, which honors workers and volunteers who help make Mexico a special place to live and work, will be held Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Mexico Recreation Center.

* The Mexico Recreation Committee raised $1,360 from concession sales at the New England Forest Rally at the Mexico Recreation Park a couple of weeks ago, according to Mabel Merrill of the Mexico Recreation Department. Another $700 was collected from donation containers distributed amongst the large crowd assembled.

* The Board of Selectmen chose C.H. Stevenson as the firm for the Osgood Avenue reconstruction.

* Some selectmen and the town manager visited the ongoing construction on the Back Kingdom Road and got a sense of what needs to be done. The road construction will occur in three phases and work from the end of the road in.

* The board decided to close the town office for a half-day on June 30, 2012, to allow the town office workers to close out the books for the fiscal year.

* Selectmen voted to approve a new dump body for the new highway department’s plow truck. The board gave its approval for the Howard Fairfield  Co. to mount the plows and rigging at an estimated cost of $55,000. The total cost of the new truck with the installations will be in the range of $120,000, Madigan said.

* Joe Roach, the recently appointed Mexico town manager intern, received high praise from the board and the town manager for the job he is doing.

* Concern was expressed about water pooling on the tar roof of the town garage. Selectmen said it needs to be checked and repaired.

* The Police Department has ordered a new Dodge Charger cruiser from Bessey Motor Sales of Paris. The total cost, including the $2,500 trade-in for the old Crown Victoria, is $21,798.

* Concern was expressed about a certain large commercial truck that has been parking overnight, on a regular basis, in the municipal parking lot near the gazebo.

* The next selectmen’s meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 23.

                                dfayen@sunjournal.com

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