RUMFORD — Change is coming.

What form it takes among Rumford, Mexico and Dixfield police departments is up to selectmen in all three towns and their town managers.

But the ultimate decision rests with the residents and what they’re willing to pay for a level of service.

Selectmen from each town voiced those opinions Monday night in the Mexico Town Office conference room after being inundated with information about several possibilities from law enforcement officers and former selectmen.

At the request of Rumford and Mexico selectmen, Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant presented a two-year contract proposal to take over police coverage in Rumford and Mexico.

At a previous meeting with Dixfield at the selectmen’s request, he presented a coverage proposal. He said Thursday that should the three towns want county coverage together, that proposal would be joined with Rumford’s and Mexico’s proposal.

Gallant’s proposal for Rumford and Mexico called for a startup contract for the first year at $1,321,251 to provide 12 deputies total to both towns. That could mean hiring officers from both towns should they meet his requirements and want to work for the county. All police equipment, including cruisers, would be turned over to the sheriff’s office.

The second year cost would be $1,185,851. That price wouldn’t change should the two towns want to try a four- or five-year contract instead of a two-year contract, Gallant said.

It would provide eight two-man patrol teams and 24-hour coverage, with a third officer being a lieutenant and supervisor Monday through Friday during the day shift. There would only be two deputies on from 1:30 a.m. to 6 a.m.

The contract also includes a detective, but should the need arise, Chief Deputy Hart Daley said the county has four other detectives he can also bring.

“We have the depth you don’t have here,” Gallant said.

Gallant said if there are additional calls, he could also bring in five deputies.

When asked about wages, Gallant said he budgets $42,000 per deputy per year.

“We don’t pay overtime until after 86 hours of work,” he said.

“That’s a savings,” Daley said.

Gallant also said the towns would no longer be liable, because the county would take that responsibility.

Rumford police Chief Stacy Carter and Mexico police Chief Roy Hodsdon then presented a proposal to combine both departments and work out of the Mexico police station because it has more space than Rumford’s station.

Carter proposed a budget of $1,386,597 with 15 police officers. Currently, Rumford has 12 officers and Mexico has five.

“There’s no reason why both towns can’t save money and have an adequate service,” Carter said. “We’re not very far off from the sheriff’s proposal.

“I strongly believe that we need to do something,” he said. “There’s no denying that times are tough, the economy stinks, budgets continue to go up, but the service continues to go down because we cut budgets because of the cost of living, the cost of wages. It’s hard. Doing this alone — each town individually — each town is going to suffer.

“By sharing services and better utilizing manpower, I think that we can save some money as a very good police department,” Carter said.

Selectmen discussed pros and cons between both proposals while Dixfield selectmen and police Chief Richard A. Pickett listened.

Mexico Selectman Reggie Arsenault said that under the county proposal, Mexico would lose its police Explorer program of training youth to become police officers, its ATV police patrol program and its neighborhood watch program for elderly residents.

Rumford and Mexico Consolidation Study consultant Don Jutton offered a third proposal via paper to combine the two police departments with one chief, but structure it differently. Jutton’s proposal would cost $1,195,723.

Former Mexico Selectman George Byam suggested having a police commission and disbanding the departments for Mexico, Rumford and Dixfield and starting anew, with no unions.

Dixfield police Chief Pickett offered to meet with Rumford and Mexico chiefs to create a proposal for one police department to serve all three towns and bring that to the group’s next meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11.

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